The planned one-day strike in the healthcare industry has been canceled and instead, doctors made do with a two-hour strike during the work day. They are not seeking additional pay, but the removal of restrictions that they feel are a violation of their basic rights.

The strike planned for Wednesday, in the entire healthcare system but agreement was reached during the night between the Israel Medical Association and the Ministry of Health.

Ze’ev Feldman, chairman of the Sheba Medical Center Workers’ Committee explained the motives for the strike: “A few weeks ago, the Health Ministry issued a unilateral directive forbidding medical doctors from changing kupat cholim, issuing a demand to receive the details of each doctor’s earnings, his place of work and details of his patients. These are things that do not exist in any other field, leaders of the doctors’ organization explain.

“The issue of private over wages is the subject of a person and his employer, and not of a regulator like the Ministry of Health.” We object to the restriction on moving a place of work, and we cannot accept it. We are sorry that we “The issue of private privacy over wages is the subject of a person and his employer, and not of a regulator like the Ministry of Health.” We object to the restriction on moving a place of work, and we cannot go through it. We are sorry that we are forced to take such an extreme step, but things have been done that are inconceivable. “We forced to take such an extreme step, but things have been done that are inconceivable.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)