The executive council of the Histadrut today called on some 2,000 nurses in Israel hospitals and clinics who are now in the fourth day of a nationwide strike to return to work by Tuesday.
Meanwhile, about 100 orderlies today walked off their jobs and joined the nurses. Several hundred doctors have threatened to stop work unless their demands for imprevement in ages and working conditions are met.
At the same time the Histadrut executive expressed support of the nurses demands. It threatened, however, that if the nurses did not return to work the matter would be turned over to the Histadrut secretariat for action. Earlier this week-end the executive criticized the nurses for going on strike “without adequate consultation.”
Hadassah representatives told a press conference that the organization, which operatos a wide network of hospitals and clinics, had agreed to the wage demands of the nurses but could not agree to a seven-hour working day. A reduction in hours would mean a reduction in the number of beds which Hadassah facilities could offer, they said, adding that if the strike continues pationts may have to be sent home from hospitals.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
