Education Minister Yuli Tamir (Labor) is scheduled to meet on Friday with the union representing high school teachers in a last-ditch effort to avoid a planned strike for next week. Teachers said they plan to work on Sunday, the first day of school in almost two weeks, and then strike the following day.

The Education Ministry and the teachers have been involved in negotiations for several months on issues of work conditions as salaries. Little progress has been made despite frequent strikes towards the end of the last school year.