As the opposition rejectsParliament approves jobs and salaries law [Archives:2005/855/Local News]

SANA'A- The Parliament approved on Tuesday June 28 the law of jobs and salaries after tense controversies lasting for weeks ordering the government to specify the lowest salary in the government job ladder by YR 20,000 ($110).

The parliamentary blocs of the opposition parties including Islah, the Yemeni Socialist Party and the Nasserite Party announced their objection to the law of jobs and salaries. They believe that it will deny a big slice of government employees their rights and ignore an important slice in the job hierarchy including judges and university professors.

A statement issued by the opposition parties stressed that the government civic and military employees suspended from work over political reasons will be the first victims, in addition to the retired and the disabled workers.

The opposition accused the government of standing behind severe poverty, unemployment, inflation, financial and administrative corruption and consequent dose reforms.

The statement confirmed the repeated refusal of the government to improve living standards of citizens and its insistence on dose reforms toped by lifting subsidy on diesel, and imposing a 10% sale tax on basic commodities will add more misery to the miserable situations of citizens.

According the to the opposition, the costs of living will be doubled particularly the price of bread and transportation fares. The dose reforms caused fear among people that the unemployment rate and the poverty base may get exacerbated.

The statement issued by the opposition described the law of jobs and salaries as ambiguous and denies a big slice of employees their administrative and technical rights and privileges.

The opposition demanded that YR 35,000 (around $200) should be the lowest salary at the government job hierarchy.
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