The public sector strike set to begin on Wednesday morning 6 Menachem Av has been averted. Approximately 15,000 manpower agency employees will be hired as government workers as a result of the deal reached between the treasury and the Histadrut labor federation. Tens of thousands of additional manpower workers will receive improved conditions. The agreement however does not apply to 200,000 Israelis working for the government, all hired by manpower agencies.

The deal provides for hiring 2.5% of the manpower workers as government employees and while most view the deal as a step in the right direction, it is far cry from responding to the demands of most of the manpower agency employees involved.

The strike would have shut down government ministries, local government, mail deliveries, trash collection and many more essential services.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)