Some 10 days after middle and high-school teachers began their strike, a solution to the crisis still remains to be seen. The talks between the Secondary School Teachers Organization (SSTO) and the Finance and Education Ministries are being conducted by relatively junior officials, and according to a predictable script whereby each side simply entrenches itself it in its known positions.
To date, no real effort has been made to advance the negotiations. This is the moment for both sides to demonstrate flexibility and generosity that would end the strike, which is disrupting the learning of some 600,000 students.
The high-school teachers' strike is the result of the fact that the government held separate negotiations with the two teachers' organizations this year, and in the end, an agreement was signed with the Teachers Union only.
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While Education Ministry officials tried to convince SSTO Chairman Ran Erez to remain in the talks and formulate a new work agreement and a mutually agreed reform program, Finance Ministry officials preferred to focus on the Teachers Union, which is larger, and can cause far more pain by striking (since its strikes shut down the kindergartens and elementary schools).
This government policy was a strategic error for at least two reasons. First, the agreement with the Teachers Union - whose key element is a 26 percent raise in exchange for a longer work week - constrained the discussions with the SSTO, of which the government was demanding more extra hours than the Teachers Union had promised.
And, no less important, the separate agreement worsened the rivalry between the two teachers' organizations and increased Erez's motivation to prove he could obtain a better agreement.
To prevent further damage to the students, who also suffered from smaller-scale strikes and sanctions last year, intensive and substantive negotiations must begin immediately. Each side must modify its demands. The SSTO should accept the raise agreed on with the Teachers Union, and agree in exchange to do an extra hour or two a week of frontal teaching.
The Finance and Education Ministries, for their part, must reach an agreement with the SSTO on the size of the raise that all secondary school teachers will receive immediately.
And all this should be done while bearing in mind the unique characteristics of secondary education, such as the number of weekly hours worked and its salary structure.
A change in attitude by the treasury, which views the battle as a chance to "teach a lesson" to the striking teachers, would also help the negotiations.
The teachers' demonstration in Tel Aviv this week, which mustered some 6,000 participants, strengthened Erez's standing as a workers' leader.
Meanwhile, the strike continues, with Arab high schools joining in two days ago. Now, a compromise must be found.
In 1978, the teachers struck for 45 days, but did not manage to secure a real and lasting improvement in their salaries. The mistakes of the past must not be repeated. All those concerned must work to end the strike.
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