Teachers strike to delay start of school year

Secondary schools across the country won't resume on September 2, Secondary School Teachers Organization (SSTO) head Ran Erez announced in an official statement Monday. "We will not allow the Finance Ministry to go on degrading teachers and we will continue to fight with all our might for an improvement in their salaries and status," Erez wrote. He claimed that despite negotiations and numerous meetings, the Finance Ministry was nearly totally ignoring the SSTO's demands, which included a pay rise and an improvement in work conditions.