The strike was prevented: At the end of a lengthy discussion between the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Education and the Teachers’ Union, the parties concluded this morning (Wednesday) the principles of the new collective agreement of the teaching staff, thus preventing the strike in the education system, which will begin tomorrow as a series.
Minister of Finance Avigdor Lieberman, Minister of Education Dr. Yifat Shasha Biton and the Chairperson of the Teachers’ Union Mrs. Yaffe Ben David will hold a press conference tonight at 18:00 on the new salary agreement. The event will also be attended by the Director General of the Ministry of Education, Ms. Dalit Stauber and the head of salaries at the Treasury, Mr. Kobi Bar Natan.
Sources privy to the negotiations reveal: “Lapid was the one who prevented the restraining orders”
Mayor in a pessimistic forecast: “In five years there will be no teachers at all”
Is this the solution? Educators write for and against the strike
The main points of the agreements reached at the end of the negotiations:
Salary increase for teaching staff starting at NIS 9,000 and additions of at least NIS 1,100 per teaching staff. Also, a persistence grant of NIS 10,000 will be given after three years in the system. In addition, raising the salary of the starting managers to NIS 19,000.
Adjusting the vacation schedule: The educational institutions will work on the closed days of the holiday of Hagg, the day of Omar and the Lent of Esther. The closed days will be transferred to Gesher between Yom Kippur and Sukkot and teachers will be given two days of vacation to choose from.
Encouraging excellence: A flexible position remuneration basket will be given to the principal, so that outstanding teachers can receive remuneration worth NIS 400-1000 for taking initiative and taking positions. Also, allowing personal contracts for experts outside the system.
The agreement also includes a salary improvement for additional positions. Education compensation will not be less than NIS 1,000 or the higher percentage compensation of the two. Remuneration for layer concentration and second deputy manager will not be less than NIS 1,100 or the higher percentage remuneration of the two. Kindergarten management remuneration shall not be less than NIS 1,500 or the higher percentage remuneration of the two.
Also included in the agreements: adding remuneration for kindergarten teachers and managers who include children with special needs in their class and increasing the consultancy remuneration from 12% to 18%. Also, raising the minimum job rate up to 100% gradually, streamlining the dismissal procedure, extending the period for receiving tenure to three years.
In light of the agreements, the strike threat has been removed, the labor dispute will be canceled and the restraining orders will be withdrawn from the Regional Labor Court. A detailed agreement will be concluded in the coming days. The Minister of Finance announced that the issue of the budgetary source for financing the agreement will be brought up for discussion and decision in the government, after which the work of drafting the agreement will begin.
In addition, the Ministry of Finance announced its intention to extend the summer school until July 31st and the extension to 4th grades.
Minister of Finance, Avigdor Liebermansaid that “the school year will open tomorrow as a series with a stronger and higher-quality education system. After many months of negotiations, we were able to bring about profound changes that have never been seen in the education system in Israel. First and foremost, the principle has changed from being rewarded solely based on seniority to also being rewarded for excellence, Investment and achievements The agreements as reached in the center also name the teachers, but also the students, the parents and take into account the entire Israeli economy.
We managed to synchronize vacation days between those of the students and those of the parents and this is a first step on the way to a deeper synchronization. Starting tomorrow, principals will have wider managerial flexibility that will be reflected in the retention of high-quality teaching staff and compensated accordingly. We were able to dramatically reduce the wage gap between beginning teachers and seasoned teachers by increasing the beginning teacher’s salary by tens of percent. We conclude a complex period at the end of which we provide certainty to parents and students for at least the next four and a half years.
I thank the Minister of Education, Dr. Yifat Shasha Biton, the Secretary General of the Teachers’ Union, Ms. Yaffe Ben David, the national leadership of parents, and of course the professional ranks in my offices who worked night and day, insisted on providing an adequate response to the needs of the system and conducted themselves with budgetary responsibility during the challenging period that the Israeli economy is experiencing . I wish all Israeli students a fruitful and successful school year.”
Avigdor Lieberman (Photo: Yonatan Zindel)Minister of Education, Ifat Shasha Biton: “After much effort, we were able to reach an optimal agreement that will allow the opening of the school year and ensure stability for the years to come. This agreement, along with professional processes that we have promoted in the past year, will strengthen the education system and move it forward. A strong, stable education system with quality teaching staff is in the interest of of all of us for the future of our children. I want to thank my partners for the important agreements, the Minister of Finance, the Director General of the Ministry of Education, the Secretary General of the Histadrut of Teachers and the Commissioner of Salaries in the Treasury and all the negotiating teams.”
that we lived and existed and reached this time.
Children of Israel – we did this for you, for the teaching staff and for the future of the education system— Yifat Shasha Biton (@sbyifat) August 31, 2022
The commissioner of the salary in the Treasury, Kobi Bar Natan, He said: “This is a groundbreaking agreement for the education system in Israel. The agreement completely changes the status of the beginning teacher, promotes the principals of the school, both in terms of salary and managerial flexibility, promotes excellence through a remuneration package for the principal and employment through personal contracts , and upgrades the salary of all teachers. The agreement promotes the adjustment of vacation days in the economy and in addition a series of issues that will improve the quality of education in Israel.”
Secretary General of the Teachers’ Union, Beautiful Ben David, She said that “after a long struggle, we managed to bring real news to the teaching staff, preserve their employment conditions and improve their wages for the benefit of the education system. This is only the first step that we indicate in the root treatment that the education system in Israel needs.”
Director General of the Ministry of Education, Dalit Stauber: “The agreement brings good news to educators, a significant salary increase for all teaching staff in the civil service, maintaining a promotion horizon throughout the years of the career, while giving special emphasis to teaching staff who join the system. In the agreement, a unique reference is made to managers who lead the education system, linking their status and the great responsibility of their position for a decent and rewarding salary. The agreement supports the goals of education, providing a solution for counselors, social coordinators, and teacher educators who include children with special needs in their classrooms. The agreement promotes school excellence along with flexibility for the principal. I am very grateful to my loyal partners in the Teachers’ Union and the Ministry of Finance for their hard and determined work that led to this achievement.” .
Education Minister Yifat Shasha Biton (photo: Reuven Castro, voila!)