Coronavirus lab workers threaten strike as talks break down

A labor union representing workers at state-funded labs says it may call a strike, potentially hampering the testing of thousands of suspected coronavirus samples a day.

The group, which is seeking better working conditions and says it has become overwhelmed by the influx of coronavirus tests, says that the Finance Ministry has refused to budge, bogging down the talks.

“The crisis with the Treasury can lead to the halting of coronavirus tests, and, no less dramatic, other lab tests, which will paralyze the entire health system,” says union representative Esther Admon, according to Walla.

Globes news reports that starting lab workers earn only NIS 31 ($9) an hour, a quarter of what workers at private labs can earn. The union says the low wages make it impossible to attract workers or keep existing employees.