Teachers union chief leaves PM's office without meeting Olmert - Haaretz

Subscribe to Print Edition

Fri., November 16, 2007 Kislev 6, 5768

Israel Time: 15:49 (EST+7)

web haaretz.com

Back to Homepage

Print Edition

Diplomacy

Defense

Arts & Leisure

Real Estate

Jewish World

National

Advertising

Easy Start

Magazine

Business

Opinion

Rosner's Domain

Anglo File

Week's End

Books

del.icio.us

Digg It! new

Last update - 15:48 16/11/2007

Teachers union chief leaves PM's office without meeting Olmert

By Or Kashti, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service

tags: SSTA, strike, Ehud Olmert

The heads of the Secondary School Teachers Association (SSTA) left the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem on Friday after dropping by unannounced in hopes of meeting face-to-face with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

SSTA chairman Ran Erez and his negotiating team arrived at the Prime Minsiter's Office for a lightning visit with Olmert that would, in their words, "bring a quick end to the strike."

At the same time, however, top Treasury and Education Ministry officials were awaiting the arrival of SSTA representatives at a different location. It was through news media reports that they learned of their intention to meet with Olmert rather than with them as previously scheduled. The teachers union said that Erez informed the Treasury that their meeting had been canceled.

	Advertisement

The SSTA heads made the trip to the Prime Minister's Office in response to the letter from Olmert which was published in Friday editions of Yedioth Ahronot. In the missive, the premier called on the teachers to end the strike, promising a substantial increase in salary that would range from 26 percent to 34 percent.

The union is convinced that Olmert's letter is a ploy by the government. Erez said that he is willing to wait for the prime minister until Friday sundown.

"If the prime minister will sign an agreement with us today, he will be invited to the protest rally at Rabin Square tomorrow, which will turn into a thank-you rally," Erez said. "All indications are that we are talking about spin coming from the prime minister, and we will now try to test the seriousness of his intentions."

"Olmert is making declarations, but if he's serious then he should arrange a quick meeting and we can catch him at his word," a teachers union official said. "Our demands are clear and they're known. If they will be met, we can end the strike today."

The teachers are holding firm on a salary bump (8.5 percent, which has already been agreed to in principle), the reinstatement of 20,000 classroom hours per year over the course of the next five years, and the reduction of classroom size to 30 students per room within five to six years.

The Prime Minister's Bureau replied that no meeting with Erez was scheduled and that the officials authorized to handle the negotiations are the education and finance ministers.

Government officials said Thursday the demands by striking teachers are exorbitant and cannot be fulfilled.

"Fulfilling the teachers' demands would lead to an economic collapse," a treasury official said after yesterday's round of talks with the SSTA, whose strike enters its 33rd day today.

SSTA chairman Ran Erez said the government must change its priorities and prove it is serious about how important education is.

The SSTA's three main demands are an 8.5 percent wage increase - which would also be given to elementary-school teachers in return for working more - reducing the number of pupils per class to 30 and restoring slashed instruction hours.

The SSTA is demanding the wage increase already in January, but treasury officials say the overall cost of these demands reaches NIS 2.5 billion.

"After the cabinet approved the budget proposal and submitted it to the Knesset, next year's budget is closed," a senior treasury official said.

"The budget increased the funds for security and Holocaust survivors and there's also the agreement with the Teachers Federation. We won't crash the entire economy because of the strike. As soon as this strike is over, the next struggles will erupt; for example, the struggle for increasing health services."

He said that reducing the number of children per classroom and restoring slashed instruction hours must be spread out over several years.

The treasury's budget director, Kobi Haber, said that "there is no way we can add NIS 2.5 billion to the education budget now."

Erez said that "the money is there, it's a question of priorities. That's the basic meaning of our struggle. If education is so important to the government, it can change the law."

Bookmark to del.icio.us


	War speculations
	An aide to Sharon says the ex-PM wouldn't have sent ground troops to Lebanon.


	Nuclear inspection
	An IAEA report concludes Iran is generally truthful but still defying UN demands.

Today Online


	E-mail snub to Israel by Prince Charles aides' sparks furor
	Responses: 176


	Yossi Sarid: Without Erdogan, Iran would set the tone in Turkey
	Responses: 31


	Yoel Marcus: We exist and we are a Jewish state
	Responses: 50


	Report: Jewish poverty rate in the U.S. higher than in Israel
	Responses: 19


	Israel concerned IAEA report could delay sanctions on Iran
	Responses: 32

Rosner's Domain

On Pakistan, Democratic candidates sound like neocons

AIPAC case: silent witnesses and bias (WTR)

Poll: Should Israel "get used" to the Iranian bomb?

Rosner's Guest: A revolution in the Orthodox synagogue

More Headlines
10:59 Israel worried IAEA report may delay Iran sanctions


12:20 Russia to Israel: Syria will take part in Annapolis summit


14:43 Israel Police arrest alleged child molester wanted in the U.S.


13:37 E-mail snub to Israel by Prince Charles' aides results in furor


13:49 Study: Jewish poverty rate in the U.S. higher than in Israel


14:30 Basketball fan whose flare hurt security guard ordered to house arrest


13:37 Report: Turkish mission to call on Israel to stop Mugrabi dig


13:21 Labor whip threatens veto of Friedmann bill limiting High Court


07:50 Chicago man to be deported to Ukraine for helping Nazis in WWII


14:48 Gunfire reported in Palestinian refugee camp south of Beirut