As a strike by secondary-school teachers stretches on to almost a month, National Labor Court President Judge Steve Adler has summoned representatives from the Education 
Government officials and teachers' representatives gave differing accounts of ongoing negotiations.
Ministry, Finance Ministry and Secondary School Teachers Association to meet with him at 10:00 am on Friday morning. The court, at its own request, has been receiving daily updates as to the progress in negotiations to end the strike.
The sides were summoned to Adler's chambers following accusations by teachers' representatives that the government was making "a disgraceful attempt to mislead the public" through media reports. Government officials and teachers' representatives gave differing accounts of ongoing negotiations, with Ministry spokesmen reporting progress and teachers saying that the situation was getting worse.
While the government has responded to teachers' demands and offered a salary increase, they said, teachers would receive only a four percent increase this year, while the rest - a total of six million shekels - would be added over the course of the next three years. Teachers supportive of the ongoing strike say that the government offer is a numbers game that actually amounts to a cut in pay in exchange for more working hours.
Avi Pascal, a member of the Teacher's Union, said that the government is not prepared to raise salaries at all. "The state is waiting for court injunctions (against the strike) and hopes that it will not have to accommodate the teachers," charges Pascal. "The only progress is our progress on the road to the courthouse."
In Pascal's estimation, an agreement could be reached in direct talks with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. However, he added, that is not likely to happen in coming days. In the meantime, Pascal said, the Teachers' Union hopes that the Labor Court will not "become the government's arm" and order teachers back to work. In a previous decision, on Tuesday, the National Labor Court decided not to issue an order against the strike.
Public Support for Striking Teachers
Defense Minister Ehud Barak is in agreement with Avi Pascal in calling for a direct negotiation between the teachers' organizations and Prime Minister Olmert. Speaking at a meeting of government ministers from the Labor party on Thursday, Barak praised Education Minister Yuli Tamir, National Labor Union head Oder Eini and the Teachers' Association for agreeing on a framework for the continuation of negotiations. He called on Olmert and on Finance Minister Roni Bar-On to immediately adopt the framework and begin direct negotiations with the striking teachers.
In addition to the Defense Minister, more than two-thirds of the public support high school
More than two-thirds of the public support high school teachers in their strike. teachers in their strike, according to a survey carried out for Channel 10 television. Another survey carried out for Voice of Israel government radio showed that most of the public is not demanding the resignations of either Education Minister Tamir or the Teachers' Union chairman. Less than one-third of the respondents wanted the Education Minister to quit and slightly more than one-third think that union boss Ran Erez should step down.
Members of the Airport Workers Union showed their solidarity with the striking teachers at a protest on Thursday night. Several dozen teachers and airport employees demonstrated outside Ben-Gurion International Airport. Students and parents in Haifa also took to the streets in support of teachers on Thursday. The group held communal prayers for the education system.