Tel Aviv University students (archives)
צילום: עופר עמרם
TA University junior academic staff launches strike
Junior lecturers decide to halt studies in a different university department each day, starting Sunday; plan to launch general strike after end of senior staff's strike
The junior academic staff at Tel Aviv University decided Thursday to launch a strike of its own in a bid to improve their conditions and the conditions of outside lecturers.
According to the junior staff, the lecturers are earning a meager living and are not entitled to basic benefits as they are employed on temporary contracts which are renewed on an annual basis.
In a two-hour meeting Thursday, the junior staff decided to halt studies in a different university department each day, starting next week. The Tel Aviv University strike is expected to be expanded to all other universities across the country.
The junior academic staff is refraining at the moment from declaring a general strike, in a bid to differentiate between their struggle and that of the senior staff, as the two bodies are not cooperating.
According to members of the junior staff, the reason for the lack of cooperation is that the senior staff's coordinating committee refused to represent outside lecturers in its struggle. After the senior staff's strike comes to an end, the junior staff may launch a general strike.
According to Eli Lahar, chair of the coordinating body for the junior faculty unions, "If the university managements fail to solve the issue of the outside lecturers' shameful employment conditions, we may reach a situation in which the semester continues to be damaged, following the steps taken by the junior staff at Tel Aviv Univerisyt."
The senior academic staff's strike in all Israeli universities has been going on for five weeks. On Thursday, the senior lecturers met with representatives of the Prime Minister's Office in a bid to launch negotiations and solve the crisis.
