Demanding equality with overseas defense employees, diplomats launch labor sanctions

The Foreign Ministry's workers committee yesterday declared labor sanctions until its demands are met to equalize the pay scale and promotions of Israeli diplomats with those of the defense establishment and the intelligence community.

The sanctions will block all work communications with personnel in the Prime Minister's Office, the Defense Ministry and the National Security Council. The workers' committee yesterday informed all Israeli diplomats in Israel and abroad of the failure of recent talks between the committee, Foreign Ministry director general Yossi Gal and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. "So far the state has shown no willingness to meet our demands half-way on the matter of pay and promotions," a telegram to the diplomats read.

The workers committee said the sanctions would not affect work with the Mossad, the Shin Bet security service and the Israel Defense Forces.

The unprecedented sanctions mean that position papers will not be conveyed to the Prime Minister's Office or the Defense Ministry, and that Foreign Ministry employees will not participate in meetings with representatives of these bodies. In addition, the Foreign Ministry will not make appointments for overseas visitors with these ministries, nor will it prepare visits in Israel or abroad of these ministries' officials. Consular services will not be given to Defense Ministry or Prime Minister's Office personnel, and no ongoing special projects of any type will be advanced.

"Do not respond to any requests from these ministries until further notice," the committee told the diplomats, noting that although the step was painful for them, they had reached the point where there was no other choice.

"All Foreign Ministry employees in Israel and abroad must cooperate fully and precisely with these directives," the committee instructed.

According to the committee, various other sanctions would be put in place "as time passed and if there is no response to our demands and our interests."

The chairman of the diplomatic workers committee, Ya'akov Livneh, said the sanctions were not directed against Foreign Ministry management. "We are not against Minister Lieberman or the director general, and they are not in conflict with us. Our problem is with the Finance Ministry and we hope these sanctions will make it clear that a response is needed to our problems."

The diplomats mainly seek to equalize their conditions of employment to those of the defense establishment and the intelligence community who also serve abroad. Foreign Ministry employees say that Mossad operatives who serve abroad receive twice the pay of diplomats for very similar work.

The Foreign Ministry people also say that other conditions of Mossad personnel, as well as IDF military attaches and Defense Ministry representatives, are far better than theirs, as is the treatment they receive when they return from or set out for service abroad.

The sanctions could significantly hobble Israel's diplomatic activity abroad. For example, Defense Minister Ehud Barak's visit to Washington and New York next week could encounter difficulties if the Israeli Embassy does not cooperate.