Laboratory workers demonstrate in front of Prime Minister's House • "The government throws billions into private laboratories, if it had invested a tenth of the amount in us - there would have been no reason to strike"
Demonstration of laboratory workers, today
About 200 employees of the public laboratories are demonstrating in front of the Prime Minister's House at this time (Tuesday).
The workers, who are in the midst of a strike, claim that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance and Health Ministers Israel Katz and Yuli Edelstein "ignore the severe crisis in hospitals, due to the strike and the damage to human life and the functioning of the health system."
Photo: GPO
During the day, the chairman of the Laboratories' Federation, Esther Admon, received messages of support for the strike, including from the chairman of the Histadrut, Arnon Bar-David, the chairman of the Hari, Prof. Tzachi Ben-Zion, and the chairman of the Israel Hospitals Association, Prof. Arnon Afek. .
"The labs are collapsing, but the government is in the emirates. The frustration is huge that the government is throwing four billion shekels into the private labs," Admon said during the demonstration.
"If only there was a tenth of the amount invested in public labs - we would have no reason to strike."
Yesterday, the Histadrut of Laboratories announced its agreement to return to negotiations with the Ministry of Finance on wage matters, and according to the workers of the laboratories, "Today there was a complete disconnect from the Ministry of Finance. No talks were held and no further negotiations are planned."
The workers have been demanding for a long time, even before the Corona crisis, to sign a proper wage agreement with them - at least NIS 50 for a novice lab worker.
Today, the salary of an employee at the beginning of his career, with advanced degrees, is about NIS 31 per hour, while in the "May Heritage" laboratories the salary is four times higher.
Laboratory workers also want to increase labor standards and adapt them to population growth.
