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Photo: Gil Yohanan
During the strike
Photo: Gil Yohanan

Following strike, state grants Jerusalem NIS 700 million

Following long negotiations and a municipal workers' strike, the governmental team appointed by Netanyahu decides on grant and establishing a professional team to complete their work.

After long negotiations, during which Jerusalem municipal workers went on strike and protested, an agreement was reached on Thursday: The team appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, led by his office's director general, Eli Groner, decided to grant 700 million shekels to the Jerusalem Municipality for 2017.

 

 

The agreements were made possible by the mobilization of government ministries to increase financial support for the city. Groner instructed that a professional team be established, to be headed by the director general of the Interior Ministry and with the participation of representatives of the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministers of Finance and Jerusalem Affairs, which will complete the staff work on the outline of a permanent multi-year grant to the capital. The team will present its recommendations to ministers by Jerusalem Day, which falls at the end of this May.

 

Jerusalem in January during the strike (Photo: Gil Yohanan)
Jerusalem in January during the strike (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

During the strike, city workers did not collect the garbage from the streets and on the third day of the strike shut down municipal kindergartens. Mayor Nir Barkat endured harsh criticism during the strike. After a meeting between Netanyahu, the industrial action ceased.

 

(Photo: Gil Yohanan)
(Photo: Gil Yohanan)

 

Gruner welcomed the agreement: "Jerusalem is a city with special, unquestioned symbolic status. The budget is intended to strengthen Jerusalem, not only as the capital of the Jewish people, but as a focal Zionist center whose residents would like to remain here and develop it. All the government is committed to this mission."

 

(Photo: Gil Yohanan)
(Photo: Gil Yohanan)

 

The mayor commented, "The government recognized my position that we must close the gap in our budget. Thanks to this agreement we saved the pain of laying off thousands of employees. We can continue ensuring more education, sanitation, culture, more welfare and jobs."

 

Minister for Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage, Ze'ev Elkin added, "I sincerely hope that this is only the first step in the list of steps…to strengthen (Jerusalem's) economic power and thus the national power of Jerusalem."

 


פרסום ראשון: 02.24.17, 14:14
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