Schools to strike in 4 cities over salary negotiations stalling
As part of the Teachers' Union strike, high school students across the country do not arrive at school on Tuesday; high schools in Ashdod, Haifa, Acre and Eilat to strike on Wednesday due to teachers having no signed contract since Dec. '16.
For the second time in a week and a half, high school classes were suspended as part of the Teachers' Union's strike, who came in response to negotiations stalling over the teachers' new wage agreement.
After suspending the strike on Sunday, Teachers' Union Chairperson Ran Erez announced on Monday that the strike would continue over a two-week period. "Every day we will decide what to do the next day," said Erez.
The strike is to take effect in Ashdod, Haifa, Acre and Eilat.
Erez's addressed the bulk of his claims to the Finance Ministry, saying that "they do not understand that the future of the state is in education."
He also aimed his criticism at Education Minister and Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett.
"He has three ministers in the government. He has eight Knesset members who can vote," said Erez. "He wants quiet, but he has to make an effort, and we don't feel it.
"We expect him to intervene, because in actuality, Finance Ministry officials have become the ones running the education system," added Erez.
The current negotiations between the teachers and the ministry are over a new wage agreement to replace the "Oz Tmura" agreement, which officially ended in December 2016.
A school principal in northern Israel stated that the current wages and conditions are impossible to work under, and that "working without a signed labor agreement from December last year is not right. Is there any other sector of the economy that works without a signed agreement?"
Article written by Shahar Hay, Reut Rimmerman, Alexandra Lukash and Attila Somfalvi.
