Palestinian civil servants gather outside the Arab Bank in Gaza City to withdraw their monthly salaries in September 2011. Hundreds of Palestinian civil servants have called for the labour minister to be fired after he made disparaging remarks about government workers. © Mahmud Hams - AFP/File
Palestinian minister under pressure after on-air insult
Last updated: November 29, 2011
Hundreds of Palestinian civil servants called Tuesday for the labour minister to be fired after he made disparaging remarks about government workers.
Ahmed Majdalani has been under fire after remarks he made about government workers, calling them "brothers of whores," were accidentally broadcast live on Palestinian local radio on Thursday.
Majdalani made the comments after an interview with Rayya FM, apparently unaware that the radio microphone was still on.
He has since apologised and denied he was referring to government employees, claiming his remarks were in reference to Israel and its measures in the West Bank.
But the incident has angered civil servants and the Palestinian workers union, prompting calls for this resignation.
Bassem Zakarneh, head of the Palestinian workers union, said the protest on Tuesday was intended to push the Palestinian government to take action against Majdalani.
"The goal of today's demonstration is to put pressure on the government to fire the labour minister and that is what we have told prime minister Salam Fayyad," he said.
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