A last-minute settlement arranged by the Histadrut, the Israel Federation of Labor, today prevented a strike of the country’s salaried physicians. Such a walk-out, on the top of the three-weeks-old strike of 6, 000 salaried engineers, and the threatened work stoppage by salaried lawyers, would have involved Israel in what would have been a virtual general strike by professionals.
The physicians, employed in public institutions, had demanded a wage increase of 19 percent, while the Government had conceded only a two percent boost; Today’s compromise will give the physicians a seven percent wage increase plus other benefits, including upgrading that would result in higher wage scales.
The lawyers, employed by governmental and municipal law offices, staged a four-hour stoppage this morning to back up their wage demands. Many trials had to be postponed as attorneys and state prosecutors failed to appear.
Meanwhile, the strike of the engineers, architects, chemists and agronomists is still at an impasse. Neither the Government and Histadrut, which oppose the walk-out, nor the Engineers’ Union, is yielding in the dispute in which the engineers demand a 16.5 percent wage increase while the Government is offering seven percent.
STRIKING ENGINEERS EMBITTERED OVER CABINET DECISION
Personal contact was established with leaders of the Engineers’ Union. today by two members of the Cabinet- -Yigal Allon, Minister of Labor, and D. Giora Josephthal, Minister of Housing and Development. The Government’s threat, adopted as a Cabinet resolution yesterday, of invoking a state of emergency in certain essential services under Dr. Josephthal’s jurisdiction, seemed only to increase bitterness among the striking engineers.
Mr. Allon today conveyed to the heads of the Engineers’ Union the Cabinet decision to invoke emergency regulations calling for manpower mobilization for immigrant housing construction and for operation of the new Haifa electric power plant, if the union will not allow a sufficient number of engineers to return to work in these projects considered vital. About 70 engineers are required for the continued operation of these services.
Mr. Allon and Dr. Josephthal are scheduled to meet again within two days with the heads of the striking union for final discussions, before the emergency measures are put into effect. No date has yet been set for invoking the emergency regulations, but the Labor Minister indicated such a move would have to be made unless a settlement was reached soon. Between 1,500 and 2, 000 housing units had to be built every month, according to Mr. Josephthal.
The Engineers’ Union insists that its wage demands are necessary to maintain a sufficient gap above the wages of workers without academic training.
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