Olmert optimistic on salary delay crisis

A cabinet meeting on Tuesday achieved no practical solutions to the problem of the delay in local authority workers' salaries, but Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he was sure a resolution to the crisis would be found soon, Israel Radio reported. At the meeting, a shouting match broke out between the prime minister and Defense Minister Amir Peretz, necessitating a break. The Histadrut called a general public strike last week to protest the delayed salaries, but canceled it after Olmert stepped in to attempt to negotiate a solution at Histadrut Chairman Ofer Eini's request.