Foreign Ministry staff began a three-day strike today that has reportedly affected most Israeli legations and diplomatic missions abroad.
Pickets marched outside the locked Ministry gates carrying placards demanding wages equal to those paid employes of the intelligence services. Their contention is that their work is equally hazardous and demanding. Some of the signs referred to attacks on Israeli diplomatic offices abroad; others quoted Premier Yitzhak Shamir’s promises to improve Foreign Ministry salaries.
The strike delayed trips abroad by several prominent persons. Meir Shamgar, President of the Supreme Court, Likud MK Ehud Olmert and Ovadia Yosef, the former Sephardic Chief Rabbi were among those who could not get diplomatic passports today.
The strike is not expected to disrupt the visit of United Nations Secretary General Javier Perez de Cuellar who is touring the Middle East and is due here from Lebanon today. He is scheduled to meet tomorrow with Shamir who also serves as Foreign Minister. Compulsory back-to-work orders have been served on Ministry personnel involved in that meeting.
Meanwhile, Israeli embassies and other diplomatic establishments overseas were reported closed. The workers committee here is considering punitive measures against Binyamin Netanyahu, senior Minister at the Embassy in Washington who reportedly went to work today in disregard of the strike. Netanyahu ranks second only to Ambassador Meir Rosenne.
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