BICOM

An 11-day full-scale strike at Israel’s Foreign Ministry, which saw work stop at all Israeli missions worldwide, came to an end yesterday after the workers’ committee came to an agreement with the Finance Ministry over pay and conditions.

The year-long dispute centred on complaints by diplomatic staff that their salaries are not only low but have not been updated for a decade and do not take into account the rising cost of living. In addition, they said conditions do not take into account the lost earnings of spouses who accompany diplomats abroad. As a result, Foreign Ministry workers point out that one third of Israeli diplomats quit within 10 years and that serious damage is being done to the country’s foreign diplomatic service.

The situation deteriorated in early March when Foreign Ministry workers rejected what they regarded as a derisory offer from the Finance Ministry following a seven-month mediation period. Consular services at Israeli missions across the world were subsequently suspended. With no resolution in sight, Foreign Ministry workers then launched an all-out strike closing the ministry building itself in Jerusalem and all the country’s embassies and consulates worldwide in an unprecedented action.

However, it was announced yesterday that a deal had been reached between the parties. The Finance Ministry agreed to adjust wages to the cost of living in the country in which diplomats are serving. A financial plan will also be constructed to take into account a spouse’s loss of earnings and more direct help will be given in finding employment for partners and to help fund the schooling of diplomats’ children. The Foreign Ministry workers and the Finance Ministry committed to working out a comprehensive agreement during the coming month.

A workers’ committee statement said, “We are glad that the State of Israel understands the difficulties that the fighters of the Foreign Ministry must deal with and are sorry for the unnecessary damage that was caused.”