Shas leader Aryeh Deri announced recently that he has two conditions for entering into any coalition government and there will be no compromise on these conditions. He is demanding a 30 shekel/hour minimum wage and zero value added tax on basic goods instead of zero VAT on new housing.
Well it appears that Minister of the Economy Naftali Bennett, who heads the Bayit Yehudi party, sees the merit of a 30 NIS/hour minimum wage, at least he does now, ahead of elections. On Wednesday morning 11 Kislev Bennett announced the time has come to increase the minimum wage. Beginning in January 2015 the minimum wage will increase gradually from 4,300 NIS monthly to 5,000 NIS monthly in three increments until January 2017. Bennett already met with Histadrut Chairman Avi Nissankoren and Tzvika Oren, who heads the Israel Manufacturers Association and reached agreement. While this does not represent an instantaneous 30 NIS/hour minimum wage, there is little left for Deri to do in this area in his campaign.
Analysts believe that if Shas does not succeed in exhibiting true unity between Aryeh Deri and his predecessor Eli Yishai, it will decimated at the polls, even amid promises from Deri the party will enter the coalition and once again bring voters assistance in the form of social programs as it has done in the past.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
If Shas joins a government that is planning to round up yeshiva students and either put them in the army or in jail, the party will lose its reason for existing. A Torah-free Shas would disappear.