The government today petitioned the National Labor Court for contempt of court orders against 300 medical residents, who have failed to show up for work since Sunday, even after the court voided their resignations and they have not submitted new ones. Contempt of court carries a fine, which can reach tens of thousands of shekels, and even imprisonment, although this seems unlikely.
In the petition, the government called the residents' struggle as "reckless and contemptuous of the court's ruling". It adds, "This is a challenge by the residents against the legal system and the rule of law."
According to the petition, 70 residents at Sourasky Medical Center (Ichilov Hospital) in Tel Aviv have abandoned their posts, along with 46 residents at Sheba Medical Center Tel Hashomer outside the city, 10 residents at Wolfson Hospital in Holon, and 87 residents at Rambam Medical Center and 18 residents at Bnei Zion Hospital, both in Haifa.
Meanwhile, the doctors committees as Ichilov Hospital, Sheba, and Rambam threatened to close the hospitals if Deputy Minister of Health Yaakov Litzman exercised his threat to immediately apply the letters of resignation submitted by 100 senior doctors. The resignations come into effect in one month. The statement implies that the doctors have no intention of resigning, but are threatening the health system in order to amend the collective agreement signed between the Israel Medical Association and the Ministry of Finance.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on November 16, 2011
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