Negotiations between representatives of the social workers union and the Finance Ministry have hit a brick wall, and a nationwide strike is set to begin Sunday.
Details as to the demands and negotiations have been sparsely reported, though it is known that the starting positions were a workers' demand for a 40% overall pay hike, and Finance Ministry consent to only 14.25%. (Both numbers include 8% that the entire public sector will receive in any event.) Most of the news coverage on the issue has dealt only with statements by social workers’ representatives and dire warnings as to the grave ramifications of a strike.
Ynet, for instance, reported that a strike by social workers, together with rising bread prices, could lead to protests in the Arab sector that could rival those in
Some 20% of the Arab public in
In Kiryat Ata, near
Social workers' salaries have not been revised in 17 years, and some social workers are calling on their leaders not to suffice with a "meager 25% raise." Signs at a recent protest said, "A welfare state is not only a privilege, it also means obligations," "The Poverty Report - is Here!" and "You can't go to the store with 'holy work.'"