Hadassah Nurses Return to Work, for Now - but Doctors Stay Home

Hadassah nurses and maintenance workers returned to work Wednesday morning, after over a week of strikes and a sleep-in protest Tuesday over the situation at the embattled hospital.The doctors however remain on strike.

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An interim agreement regarding the nurses and general staff was reached overnight during a meeting with hospital director-general Avigdor Kaplan and the chairman of the labor union department, Avi Nissankorn.

The deal safeguards salaries of up to 15,000 shekels a month, but workers making more will experience gradual cuts. No employees will be fired until April 14.

Doctors meanwhile continue to strike, though negotiations with the hospital management continue. The physicians went on strike over a recovery plan they fear will harm their working conditions.

The hospital recently admitted to a deficit of 1.25 billion shekels ($360 million). Workers staffers received only half of their salaries for January 2014. They also claim that social benefits including convalescence pay and pension and provident fund allocations have been delayed.