Education Minister Av Kisch and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich issued a statement on Monday directed at the chairman of the teachers' union: "Come to accelerated negotiations to ensure the start of the school year."
As is well known, Ran Erez threatens to shut down studies in high schools (10-12) if a wage agreement is not signed with him that will dramatically raise the salaries of high school teachers. Throughout the year, he disrupted studies, annual trips, and even forbade teachers to prepare for the next school year, 2024.
Against this background, Education Minister Yoav Kisch and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich call this morning to begin immediate negotiations on the new salary agreement for high school teachers, "in order to strive together for an agreed solution as soon as possible." It is possible that the two are afraid of the Labor Court's decision if they try to issue injunctions against teachers, since several times the court has ruled in favor of Ran Erez.
"Join us today at 16pm"
Education Minister Yoav Kish said: "The start of the school year on September 1 is a significant anchor for the entire education system and for all Israeli students. I call on Ran Erez, chairman of the teachers' union, and local government chairman Haim Bibas to join us today at 16:00 p.m. at the Ministry of Education for accelerated negotiations until white smoke comes out."
They also want to reach an agreement with the secondary school teachers' union. Minister of Education Yoav Kish, Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich added: "The Ministry of Finance has reached a series of agreements with the teachers' union, senior academic staff, the Histadrut and other bodies. All this successfully. With great professionalism, mutual respect and a shared understanding that the best interests of Israeli students stand before our eyes. As finance minister, together with my friend the education minister, we want to reach an agreement with the secondary school teachers' union as well."
Ran Erez is demanding a salary of NIS 12,000,<> for a beginning teacher and an increase in the salaries of veteran teachers in the same class. In a statement issued by the ministers of education and finance, they flattened the proposal.
Demands a salary of NIS 12,000,<> for a beginning teacher. Ran Erez, Photo: Dudi Vaknin
For example, "a beginning teacher with a bachelor's degree will receive NIS 10,000, a beginning teacher with a master's degree will earn NIS 10,900. We also propose transferring the managers to personal contracts, a move that will lead to an additional NIS 5,000 to their salaries. We are bringing a new model of flexible compensation in the hands of principals and principals at an average amount of NIS 10,000 per month to incentivize designated positions in secondary schools and other measures."
"It's been six months and we haven't made any progress"
The teachers' union responded to the video distributed by the ministers of finance and education: "For the past year and a half we have been conducting negotiations with a willing soul and clean hands, while making a number of compromises in the negotiations when the ministries of finance and education were not really in the negotiations and we did not make any progress at all."
Teachers' Union
"If they have now repented and reached the conclusion in the justice of our claims that the secondary education system is in crisis and can even be said to be collapsing and that teachers are not the problem but the solution, only the signing of a respectable collective agreement will ensure the existence of a good and proper education system that will promote the quality of life in the country," they said.
They added: "We are pleased to hear from the ministers of education and finance who are willing to take our claims seriously, but in light of the numbers published in the media by the ministers, we understand that they have learned nothing and have not forgotten anything and are remaining in the same positions as they were a year ago."
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