Judicial system faces first ever strike
The struggle over judges’ terms of retirement is threatening an all out, unprecedented strike in the Israeli judicial system; judges are protesting the decision to transfer them to an accrual pension, and many of them are refusing to retire until the conditions are settled.
The judicial system is facing an unprecedented threat of strike after Passover as Israel's judges are fighting for their retirement conditions.
The judges' pension issue has been under discussion for several years, since the decision to "close" the budgetary pension and transfer the judges—like the rest of the civil servants—to an accrual pension.
But the judges claim that they suffer more than any other group of workers. Judges are appointed to their positions at a relatively old age, and if they have not managed to save for a significant pension prior to the appointment, they may find themselves with a relatively low monthly pension.
In fact, since the budgetary pension has been taken off the table, the judges are interested in receiving a ‘bridging pension’—similar to the arrangement received by defense establishment employees, which softens the gaps between the budgetary pension and the accrual pension.
Sources in the system say that the debate over pensions has a direct bearing on the efficiency of the judges. If in the past retirement conditions were a catalyst for the removal of less efficient or qualified judges from the system, they now do not wish to retire until a decision is reached regarding their retirement terms.
The judges are now receiving significant reinforcement in the struggle. The Israel Bar Association decided Tuesday that if the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Finance do not find a quick solution to the issue, they will strike after Passover. All the lawyers, including those working in the State Prosecutor's Office, will not show up to hearings and thus paralyze the courts, which are already crowded with discussions as it is.
"The judges are fed up," a senior legal official said Tuesday, "all the attempts to regulate the pension of the new judges have failed. Every time a committee is set up, all it does is postpone decisions, and mainly takes advantage of the fact that judges, unlike the Israel Electric Corporation or the Israel Airports Authority, cannot go on strike. Therefore, the Bar Association has decided to respond to the appeal of the judges' representatives and put an end to the issue… the only ones to actually suffer from the fact that inefficient and unqualified judges cannot be forced into retirement is ultimately the public.”
This argument has been heard in the past, by no less than the head of the Supreme Court—retired Judge Asher Grunis. His remarks on the matter implied that the pension debate prevents "new, efficient" blood flow to the system.
“We mustn’t forget that this is an essential problem, which must be resolved as soon as possible in order to enable a surge of rejuvenation in the judicial system, while allowing for a dignified retirement,” said the head of the Israel Bar Association, attorney Effi Naveh.
(Translated and edited by N. Elias)
