Labor court forbids teachers to strike on September 1st
Teacher's Association threatens to keep schools closed come September in protest over Finance Ministry's foot-dragging in pay negotiations but Labor Court blocks strike after Education Ministry files urgent petition. Court orders sides to hold intensive negotiations, says it will reconvene on matter during first week of September
The National Labor Court on Monday forbade the Middle and High School Teachers Association education to prevent the start of the school year by going on strike during the first week of September.
The court issued a temporary injunction after an urgent petition was filed by the Education Ministry, Finance Ministry and the Union of Local Authorities in Israel and ordered the teachers and Finance Ministry to hold intensive and serious negotiations on the teachers' demands.
The court said it would a demand progress report by September 5th.
Should the matter fail to be resolved by that time, a second hearing would be scheduled for September 6th and the court would reconsider the injunction order.
The teachers announced they would strike after negotiations over their employment conditions fell through last week.
Teachers Association chairman Ran Erez said the Finance Ministry refused to acknowledge any of the teachers' demands, even on matters which Erez said would not require any significant changes to existing
budgets.
Erez said that since 2001 teachers have been working without a collective wages agreement.
