The Treasury responded angrily to threats by the Teachers Union to renew the strike if demands are not met by Monday, stating that "it's strange that they announce a strike Tuesday after meetings were set for Thursday and Monday. Apparently the meetings were not intended to be used in order to promote effective negotiations. The Finance Ministry is working to raise the salaries of younger teachers in Israel who earn a third of the salary of their older counterparts, with gaps growing every year. The Teachers Union refuses to reduce this unusual gap and instead threatens more extreme steps which will harm Israeli pupils."