National Labor Court President Judge Nili Arad today rejected the government's petition for an injunction against the doctors' sanctions. She also refused to order the parties to enter arbitration, even though the Israel Medical Association withdrew from understandings reached with the Ministry of Finance. In contrast, only a few months ago, Judge Arad said that she would not allow social workers to continue their strike after they withdrew from a draft agreement with the Ministry of Finance.
The Medical Association quickly responded with a nationwide one-day strike by doctors at all government hospitals. A range of labor sanctions will be undertaken during the rest of this week. Only urgent surgical procedures, including oncology treatments, dialysis, and fertility treatments, will be performed on Tuesday. Outpatient clinics, various institutes, and day wards will be closed on Wednesday, and only urgent surgical procedures will be performed on Thursday.
Last night, the Medical Association's attorney disclosed that it wants to expand the cost structure of the agreement. Under the original agreements with the Ministry of Finance, its cost included a 36% increase in doctors' salary costs over eight years, or 40% over ten years. Directing her remarks directly at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the lawyer added, "I expect that after 127 days since the labor dispute was declared, the prime minister will intervene in such an important dispute."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 25, 2011
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