Municipal Workers Set to Strike Tuesday Night

With no progress reported in negotiations, municipal workers across the country were preparing to go out on strike Tuesday at midnight, Arutz Sheva reported.

The strike, involving some 100,000 people employed by Israel’s local authorities, will shut down all services provided by them, including educational institutions and planning and construction committees. Special Education Workers will be exempted from the strike.

At issue is a refusal by the Federation of Local Authorities to pay workers a one-time bonus as part of a new wage agreement, according to the Histadrut labor union.

“Employees of local authorities are making every effort to fulfill their duties. No employer has the right to conduct wars on the backs of workers, especially when it comes to the public sector. The local authorities left no other choice,” said Histadrut labor federation chairman Avi Nissenkorn.

Nissenkorn added that he hopes the Federation of Local Authorities will “come to their senses, pay the extras and bonus according to the new wage agreement, and eliminate the need for a strike.”