Local government in Israel is expected to strike on Thursday, November 7, 2019, due to the deadlocked efforts to establish a coalition government, which has led to delays in budgets on the local level. This has now led to the threat of a strike.

After two rounds of Knesset elections and still no government, there is no body to pass and allocate the 2020 budget. The political paralysis on the national level has brought about a strangulation on the local government level, as the funds for local government have been used to keep municipal services operational in many cases, such as education, social welfare, trash collection and more. The head of the Union of Local Authorities, Modi’in Mayor Chaim Bibas, announced that if the budget is not passed by the end of business on Wednesday, November 6, 2019, local government will strike on Thursday, a one-day strike.

Despite the fact the Knesset Finance Committee on Tuesday approved passing the 2019 budget to local governments, the threat of the strike has not been removed for the local authorities are insisting on the 2020 budget, which begins in about another month.

Some of the budgets awaiting funding include NIS 400 million to build educational institutions, NIS 600 for building protected areas in the north, NIS 38 million to subsidize after school activities for each and every child in the north and budgets for the Israeli Arab and Bedouin sectors.

Who is expected to strike on Thursday?
Persons expected to honor the strike on Thursday include kindergarten assistants. However, the head of the committee representing the kindergartens called on them not to harm the children, but to report to work.

The strike will include:
• Transportation to schools
• School security guards
• Maintenance personnel in schools
• Security officers
• Lab technicians and secretaries
• Local government offices and phones
• Welfare offices
• Psychological services
• Garbage collection

It is pointed out that special education will operate on a regular schedule.

Strike organizers explain the move is necessary to ensure that local governments don’t collapse in another month, as by then, the lack of funding will impact operations on the local government level.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)