Junior Academic Staff at Eight Public Colleges Goes Out on Strike

The unions of junior academic staff at public colleges announced a strike on Sunday morning, October 21, in an effort to improve their members’ employment conditions. The colleges on strike include Sapir College, Kinneret College, Ruppin Academic Center, the Kibbutzim College, the Holon Institute of Technology, Achva Academic College, the Tel Hai Academic College and the Ashkelon Academic College.

Members of striking junior academic staff of Tel Aviv University demonstrate on the school’s campus last Wednesday, October 17.

Members of striking junior academic staff of Tel Aviv University demonstrate on the school’s campus last Wednesday, October 17. (Photo: Junior Staff Union)

The junior staffs at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Tel Aviv University began open-ended strikes on Sunday, October 14, over pay and working conditions

Junior teaching staff in the universities are demanding better job security including an early notification regarding their employment for the following year, along with wages and sick days comparable to those holding similar positions in other higher education institutes. Disgruntled staff at Tel Aviv University held demonstrations in front of the university’s administration building and outside the front gates to raise awareness of their campaign.

In addition, the union of the junior teaching staff at the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, also declared a work dispute on Sunday, October 21, in anticipation their too going out on strike.

Related: Strikes by Junior Staff Cast Shadow Over Start of New Academic Year