Court orders end to strike, payment of salaries

The National Labor Court ordered the Histadrut early Thursday to immediately end the general public sector strike it had begun the previous morning, and not to strike for the rest of the week. Additionally, Judge Steve Adler ruled, the Finance Ministry must pay the local authorities' salaries by Thursday, except for those that were disputed, such as the religious councils, which would hold intensive discussions throughout the week to find a solution to the salary issue. Adler announced the court's decision after a late-night hearing that included meetings between Histadrut Chairman Ofer Eini, Finance Minister Avraham Hirchson, and Interior Minister Roni Bar-On.