A strike of 11,000 nurses employed at all Israeli hospitals continued into the second day despite efforts of Labor Minister Josef Almogi to reach a compromise with the strikers. The nurses are seeking higher wages which the government declares will disrupt its fight against inflation. Authorities said emergency medical services were being continued, but many surgical cases were not treated because patients in wards were not being prepared for the operations. Meanwhile doctors worked overtime trying to perform work usually done by the striking nurses. It was stated that if the strike continued much longer it would cause hardships which may result in serious consequences. Mediation efforts continue today. The government claims that if the nurses’ wage demands are met the delicate economic balance between wages, prices and taxes would collapse. The nurses say their demands are not outside the framework of the package deal.
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.
