Negotiations between secondary school teachers, treasury break down - Haaretz

Subscribe to Print Edition

Fri., December 14, 2007 Tevet 5, 5768

Israel Time: 16:08 (EST+7)

web haaretz.com

Back to Homepage

Rosner's Domain

Diplomacy

Defense

Jewish World

Opinion

National

Print Edition

Advertising

Books

Arts & Leisure

Business

Real Estate

Easy Start

Travel

Week's End

Anglo File

Hanukkah



		Teachers clash with police during a Tel Aviv business conference Monday. (Tomer Appelbaum)

del.icio.us

Digg It! new

Last update - 21:55 11/12/2007

Negotiations between secondary school teachers, treasury break down

By Or Kashti, Haaretz Correspondent

Tags: Teachers strike

Negotiations between the Secondary School Teachers Association and the Finance and Education Ministries broke down Tuesday evening after the leader of the striking teachers, Ran Erez, stormed out on the talks in a fury.

Erez said that the government took back part of their promises in the proposed agreement between the sides. The sides had reached the breakthrough agreement to end a two-month-long strike at a meeting late Monday night, yet details of the deal were to be formulated Tuesday.

The deal which was under discussion would have included a five percent wage hike, gradual reductions in the number of students per class, and restoration of some teaching hours lost to past budget cuts, sources said.

	Advertisement

Army Radio reported Tuesday morning that according to the deal, NIS 1.5 billion would have been allocated to the education system over the next five years in order to dramatically reduce the number of students per class.

The marathon negotiations held late Monday were part of a bid to avoid implementing the back-to-work orders issued last week by the National Labor Court, which take effect Thursday.

Meanwhile, teachers at some 60 secondary schools so far had already decided not to return to work on Thursday, if the sides failed to reach a finished agreement and the court orders were still in effect.

According to one teacher active in the strike, "our goal is to reach a critical mass of teachers, that would empty the injunctions of meaning. Refusal to obey the orders does not constitute breaking proper standards of behavior, but rather their restoration: you cannot resolve a conflict like this by means of a unilateral measure like back-to-work orders, but only through negotiations."

Other activists said that at several schools, teachers are planning to go to the nearest police station on Thursday and ask to be arrested.

Teachers are relying, among other things, on a legal opinion that said: "A teacher who does not return to work after the court order has gone into effect will not be considered in violation of the court order. At most, these teachers are absent without justification. In that case, there is the possibility of disciplinary measures against the teacher, including listing the absences as unpaid leave; beginning a disciplinary proceeding that includes a letter of reprimand or letter of warning; or opening a hearing proceeding. In the latter event, a member of the teachers' organization will sit on the committee."

In his speech Monday at Globes' Israel Business Conference, Finance Minister Roni Bar-On said that "the discourse surrounding obeying the court orders raises questions about the degree of commitment in Israel to the rules of the game in a democracy."

He added that as time passes, "chances are lessened for a consensual reform of the school system."

Between now and Thursday, Education Minister Yuli Tamir will meet with groups of principals around the country in an effort to enlist their cooperation for an orderly resumption of classes. In response, the High School Principals Association issued a call "not to attend the meeting with Education Ministry representatives, who issued court orders against teachers and principals."

Erez charged that the Education Ministry is trying to drive a wedge between teachers and principals. "Therefore we asked that principals refrain from participating in conferences of any sort that are organized by the Education Ministry or Union of Local Authorities."

An earlier meeting Monday between Bar-On and Erez achieved no results. Sources involved in the talks said that Bar-On tried to persuade Erez to end the strike by promising that "within a few months everything will be alright."

Related articles:

Court issues back-to-work orders to striking high school teachers

Olmert says gov't has no desire to 'defeat' striking teachers

Educators are unprepared to brief students on current events

Bookmark to del.icio.us


	Humanitarian Crisis
	The Red Cross says conditions have worsened in Palestinian areas.


	'Sacred basin'
	At Camp David, Israel pushed for a body to ensure religious freedom in J'lem for all.




1.	Fires the teachers if they don`t go back.	08:50	\|	bg	11/12/07

2.	fire them -u won`t have to!!	10:09	\|	ka	11/12/07

3.	Upside-down values...	11:47	\|	Esther	11/12/07

4.	Insufficient	11:55	\|	Dr. Jonathan Safren	11/12/07

5.	Me Too	12:10	\|	RF	11/12/07

6.	bg, a profoundly stupid statement #1	12:48	\|	Yaakov Sullivan	11/12/07

7.	No. 4 - Insufficient	13:06	\|	Michael	11/12/07

8.	THERE ARE STILL SOME IDIOTS OUT	13:12	\|	Robert	11/12/07

9.	RF What job is that ? Not teaching!!	13:14	\|	ka	11/12/07

10.	Teacher`s strike	13:23	\|	Aline	11/12/07

11.	Stay strong teachers!	13:41	\|	David Teich	11/12/07

12.	Teacher`s Strike	13:55	\|	Gerald Zang	11/12/07

13.	teachers strike	13:58	\|	aline	11/12/07

14.	teacher`s strike	14:17	\|	aline	11/12/07

15.	To Aline	14:42	\|	Robert	11/12/07

16.	#9	15:17	\|	RF	11/12/07

17.	to Robert	15:18	\|	Aline	11/12/07

18.	David Teich - What is your comment accomplishing? Nothing...	21:48	\|	mk	11/12/07

19.	our government is cheating us	21:56	\|	Sharona	11/12/07

20.	We r with u	22:18	\|	Sharona	11/12/07

21.	To Michael #7	22:19	\|	Dr. David	11/12/07

22.	Bar-on turns-the-screw at the last moment...	22:32	\|	Esther	11/12/07

23.	Playing "educational" games...	23:02	\|	Esther	11/12/07

24.	Have a little mercy	23:03	\|	Miche Norman	11/12/07

25.	Baron`s priorities	23:15	\|	Esther	11/12/07

26.	There is another side	02:41	\|	Yochanan K	12/12/07

27.	From an American Federation of Teachers member	03:03	\|	Steve	12/12/07

28.	18: MK, my, what an appropriate moniker	15:01	\|	David Teich	14/12/07

Today Online


	Israel, U.S. to discuss their differering assessments on Iran
	Responses: 47


	Ruth Meisels: No commandment for Jewish sovereignty in Jerusalem
	Responses: 55


	Lisa Goldman: Law applied capriciously over my Lebanon trip
	Responses: 8


	Yossi Sarid: Angela Merkel is antithesis of Hillary Clinton
	Responses: 13


	Yoel Marcus: There are no Israeli politicians to rely on
	Responses: 14


	Rosner: Should U.S. Jews have voice in shaping Israel policy?
	Responses: 8

Rosner's Domain

Who believes in intelligence reports?

American Jews are losing interest in Israel

Guest: U.S public doesn't think there is need for or a point to creating a Palestinian state

Americans do not believe the NIE report on Iran (What To Read)

More Headlines
15:27 Cabinet declares 'special situation' in Sderot


15:31 At least 3 dead, 30 hurt in explosion at Gaza funeral


13:41 Israel, U.S. to meet to discuss differing assessments on Iran


15:46 Top Fatah official abducted by Hamas gunmen in Gaza Strip


15:58 Move afoot to put late Moroccan king as righteous gentile


13:56 Abbas to blast Israel for building in settlements, E. Jerusalem


09:02 Criminal charges could topple Ashkenazi chief rabbi from office


13:12 Physical Education teacher dies during Haifa high-school class


13:11 Taxi driver abducted by Palestinians, rescued by IDF


04:34 Government officials: Har Homa row sparked by 'two bureaucrats'