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Public sector strike as Knesset prepares to vote on budget
Many schools, nurseries and other municipal services went on strike across Israel this morning, to protest proposed cuts to local authorities in the 2017-2018 budget currently being debated in the Knesset.
Overnight talks between the Union of Local Authorities (ULA), the Prime Minister’s Office and Finance Ministry broke down, prompting the walkout from 6am. Education services have been immediately hit this morning, but local leaders say that rubbish collection, welfare and security services could also be impacted.
The ULA, an umbrella body for hundreds of local and regional authorities, is protesting budget cuts for development in local authorities which often enable them to balance their books.
The changes were announced earlier this week, as part of two last-minute cuts to the upcoming state budget designed to absorb the cost of relocating residents of the Amona outpost, establishing the new public broadcasting corporation, and building new schools in ultra-Orthodox communities. The government is seeking to pass the £630m budget through the Knesset ahead of an end-of-year deadline to avoid having to request a three-month extension.
Haim Bibas, head of the ULA and Mayor of Modi’in, explained that the cuts would severely impact 190 weaker local authorities.
He said: “Dimona should be equal to Amona… Every year the government asks us to provide additional services while cutting our funding… The truly weak authorities get cut in order to finance coalition deals. It’s a sad joke.”
The Finance Ministry countered, arguing that “in the 2017-2018 budget there are significant increments for local authorities”.
The Knesset Finance Committee this week approved the budget and its’ accompanying Economic Arrangements Bill, prompting a plenum debate yesterday during which Yesh Atid MK Ya’akov Peri branded it “full of holes”.
Zionist Union MK Shelly Yachimovich commented that the proposed budget “increases the gaps” in society. The Knesset debate will continue today and voting on a second reading could take place tomorrow.