Pro-Fatah employees plan strike in Hamas-run Gaza

GAZA (Reuters) - Thousands of government employees loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement plan to go on strike on Saturday in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip to support striking teachers, a trade union official said on Thursday.

About half of the teachers in the territory have not reported for work since Sunday, accusing the Hamas-run Education Ministry of job discrimination over their support for Fatah.

Bassam Zakarna, head of the pro-Fatah employees union, said thousands of other government workers would go strike for four days, starting on Saturday, unless Hamas cancelled what he called unjust transfers of teachers from their posts.

Hamas has denied Fatah allegations that the transfers were politically motivated and aimed at weakening the rival faction's influence. Hamas seized the Gaza Strip from Fatah in fighting in June 2007.

(Writing by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Editing by Giles Elgood)