Hundred educators and parents had gathered, among them MK Dov Khenin (Hadash), in Safra Square in Jerusalem on Sunday to demonstrate against the Jerusalem Municipality with the slogan, “Cheapen the after-school activities, keep working conditions.” Jerusalem after-school activities were closed on Sunday afternoon as workers went on strike to protest against salary reductions and worsening conditions recently brought about by the implementation of a new reform.
The Trajtenberg Committee, appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the summer 2011 social justice protests, decided to lower the cost of after-school programs in order to ease the situation of working parents. The reform was implemented last month in Jerusalem as part of a pilot for the project, requested by the municipality.
MK Khenin during the parents and educators demonstration in Jerusalem on Sunday (Photo: Hadash)
In the process, the staff at these programs have been switched over from a global salary to an hourly one, resulting in a reduction of their pay. Dozens of educators announced their resignations on Sunday, explaining that they cannot afford to work under the new conditions, and causing an unexpected shortage in staff at after-school programs.
“We went to the streets in the summer of 2011 calling for social justice and opportunity for young families to live with dignity. Both these principles can and must come together,” said MK Khenin during the demonstration. “After school activities centers are welcomed, but it is unnecessary and impossible to abandon the dedicated workers in the process, and I call on the municipality to stop ignoring the problem and treat it before it’s too late. Once again the standard practice in the neo-liberal government is to cut and apply reforms at the expense of the society,” he added.
Sunday’s strike was organized after the Finance Ministry met with officials of the municipality, representatives of the after-school centers and parents on Saturday night. Over a hundred educators and parents had previously gathered in Safra Square on Thursday evening to demonstrate against the change an the violation of the terms of employment of about 400 workers of after school centers.
