Avi Nissenkorn
Avi NissenkornPhoto: Oren Cohen, Histadrut spokesperson

Chairman of the Union of Clerks Arnon Bar David updated Sunday all the heads of the committees of local authorities, letting them know that no progress was made on disputed issues and therefore, on Tuesday night at midnight, a general strike will begin in all municipalities throughout the country.

As part of the strike, some 100,000 municipal employees and local and regional councils will not be working. All the services provided by local authorities, including educational institutions and planning and construction committees, will cease working. Special Education Workers will be excluded from the current strike.

According to the Histadrut labor union, the strike is being held over a refusal by the Federation of Local Authorities to pay workers a one-off bonus as part of a new wage agreement.

"Employees of local authorities are making every effort to fulfill their duties. They are not transparent and I will not let them become so. 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.”

“We are fighting for justice for over three weeks but the local authorities continue to play chicken. I warn and alert the mayors of the severe consequences of their decision to continue with the struggle on the backs of the employees,” said Bar David.

"Unfortunately, nothing has changed and now because of their silence and renunciation of the employees, they bear the full responsibility of inconvenience caused to the public," concluded Bar David.