Many schools, kindergartens still closed despite deal as teachers protest salary cut
Around 10% of workforce said to use sick days, irate over concessions made by Teachers Union chief; strike leader says deal ‘denigrates’ hardworking teachers
Many schools and kindergartens remained closed on Monday as teaching staff called in sick in continued action over surprise salary cuts, despite an agreement signed last night between the Finance Ministry and the Israel Teachers Union.
Hebrew media reports said that many teachers were unhappy with union leader Yaffa Ben David’s concessions in the negotiations, and were planning to continue to strike, with thousands calling in sick Sunday ahead of Monday’s school day.
Initial estimates by the Education Ministry suggest 17,000-20,000 teachers — around 10 percent of the workforce — listed themselves as sick on Monday, though it is unclear how many schools remained closed nationwide, the Kan public broadcaster reported.
The report noted that in Tel Aviv, 218 kindergartens and over 50 elementary and middle schools were shuttered.
The official strike began Sunday morning. Some teachers did not report to work until 10 a.m., and others did not show up at all, with many schools opting to remain closed for the entire day. According to reports, some 25,000 teachers joined Sunday’s action.
The Teachers Union said Sunday in a statement that the agreement would set the pay cut at 0.95% instead of the originally set 3.3%, and it would only be in effect from May to the end of December 2025, hailing the “significant achievements.”
The gap in the cuts would be offset by other reductions in salary raises, promotions, and school benefits, and teachers would get extra vacation days, Hebrew media reported.
Channel 12 reported that the salary cut does not apply to teachers in Haredi schools.
Ilana Ohel, a teacher from Yehud who was one of the initiators of the campaign to use sick days in protest of the deal, told the Ynet news site she was determined to continue her struggle, stating, “I want my money back.”
“The agreement humiliates us. They took away the Lag B’Omer [vacation day] from us, and now they’ve given it back, freezing our promotion and other salary components,” she said.
“There is no other sector of employees who continue working at home, who receive calls from parents at night, who sit and prepare plans and schedules until eight in the evening, and whose wages are so low to begin with,” she added.
The Walla news site reported that teachers were unwilling to give in and would continue their campaign until a better agreement is reached, citing chat groups between educators.
Several outlets reported that the Education Ministry and Finance Ministry had informed teachers that their “sick days” would not be considered legitimate and thus they would not be entitled to pay for days on which they did not report to work. It was unclear how this could be enforced.
Kan reported that the National Parents Leadership is seeking to appeal to the labor courts over teachers improperly using their “sick days.”
The Times of Israel Community.