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Photo: Proto Thema
Foreign Ministry staff stage surprise strike around the world
Disgruntled by government's apparent inability to resolve failures discovered in new salary conditions that went into effect at the beginning of 2018, foreign support staff's day-long strike means no Israeli representatives present at UN, EU discussions involving Israel; 'This was the last thing we wanted.'
Support staff for Israeli Foreign Ministry workers representing the State of Israel around the world announced on Thursday a suprise same-day strike for all international Israeli missions in protest against “the state's delay in finding a solution to the failures that were discovered in the new salary conditions” which went into effect in January 2018.
The worldwide strike were also expected to have an impact on a range of planned ceremonies. Public receptions in the consular departments were to be canceled, for example, along with work meetings and other events planned in advance.
The support staff constitute 60% of the manpower and representatives of the Israeli Foreign Ministry abroad and around 80% of the delegations from the ministries of defense, economy and tourism.
Their failure to turn up to work was expected to completely disable the ability of Israeli missions and delegations to operate around the world, especially those located in the United States.
(Photo: Protothema)
The worldwide strike were also expected to have an impact on a range of planned ceremonies. Public receptions in the consular departments were to be canceled, for example, along with work meetings and other events planned in advance.
Moreover, a number of discussions in the United Nations and in the European Union involving Israel were set to proceed in the absence of any Israeli representatives.
One member of the foreign ministry employee committee said that staging a strike was last resort measure.
“The last thing we wanted was to strike. Just two days ago a delegation of the committee returned from Israel after a round of negotiations that were supposed to end the work dispute,” the
committee member said.
“We got on the plane on the understanding that a solution had been reached, but the ongoing wrangling between the foreign and finance ministries are once again going on at our expense and we won’t allow it,” he continued.
The Ministry of Finance issued a statement responding to the planned strike, accusing the workers of opting to strike in the midst of ongoing negotiations.
“In the last few months the Finance Ministry has held joint talks with representatives of the Foreign Ministry Workers Committee in an effort to improve a number of issues with a new wage model. We regret that while the discussion is still ongoing, the workers chose to strike,” the statement said.
In April 2017, 1,200 employees of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs at 102 embassies around the world said they would strike in protest of what they described as poor salary conditions, which they claimed had not been changed in the last 60 years.
