A group of teachers heckled Prime Minister Ehud Olmert during is speech at the Israel Management Center conference in Tel Aviv today. The teachers yelled at Olmert, "He won't talk to us or listen to us."
Olmert replied, "I was taught in civics class not to interrupt those with whom I disagreed."
The teachers also yelled, "You're abandoning and neglecting future generations. You're neglecting education. You're making us ashamed of our country."
A teacher in audience called out, "Dear prime minister, hundreds of thousands of pupils are sitting at home because of this strike, and you must do something to end it." Another teacher added, "The education system is collapsing and someone must heal it. "
The teachers were initially greeted with applause, which soon changed to boos as the audience grew exasperated with the repeated interruptions, and fisticuffs broke out.
Olmert had not planned to mention the teachers strike in his speech, but returned fire to the hecklers. "The government signed an agreement with the Histadrut Teachers Union, which the union said was a historic agreement that had never been signed before. The agreement includes real reforms, including a budget supplement of NIS 6 billion. But there is one union that says, 'I won't negotiate, and after the others are done, I'll ask for more'," said Olmert.
Olmert raised his voice and launched a full-scale attack. "I favor pay hikes, but to teachers who rant, I want to say, 'You want a pay raise, vote for reform.' I won't negotiate here, but the time has come that you teachers too enact reform of your management. What do you want us to do here; settle accounts at the dais?
"We agreed with the Histadrut Teachers Union that a principal will get hitherto unavailable authority, including the right to fire a teacher who fails to meet results. Agree to the changes in the principals' authority, the number of class hours, and smaller classes."
The audience loudly applauded Olmert's comments.
When the heckling repeatedly interrupted Olmert's speech, guards removed the teachers from the hall.
A demonstrating teacher, Amiad Metzer, given the opportunity to respond after Olmert's speech, said, "Our struggle isn't over pay. We want reform more than anybody. Your children and grandchildren sitting here are spending a fortune on education, but for those without money, education is a catastrophe." He too, won loud applause.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on November 5, 2007
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