i24 News – Teachers are preparing for another strike across Israel on Tuesday. The new strike was called for due to a stalemate in negotiations between the Israeli Finance Ministry and the Teachers’ Union for a breakthrough in raising teachers’ salaries.
“Unfortunately, the Treasury took advantage of our good intentions to freeze sanctions (the strike) and held unnecessary meetings,” Yaffa Ben-David, secretary-general of the Teachers’ Union, said.
Earlier, another negotiation meeting between the parties ended, with opinions still far too divergent according to Ben-David.
A senior finance official said after the meeting: “Ben-David’s claims are unfounded.”
The Teachers’ Union demands that a starting teacher’s salary be $3,069, while the Finance Ministry stipulates $2,514. The Education Ministry, however, is closer to the position of teachers and demands that the salary of a beginning teacher be $2,923.
Last week, the teachers went on strike for two full days before stopping it because of a request from the education minister and the promise of a compromise, which has yet to be concluded.
Elementary schools, Hebrew language classes, and kindergartens will be closed on Tuesday, with special education schools operating as usual.
