Foreign Ministry delays ambassadorial appt. over wages

After 8% salary increase by Treasury rejected, Foreign Ministry cancels overtime, car allowance payments.

By HERB KEINON
The Foreign Ministry’s management fired back on Sunday at its diplomatic workers, who rejected an eight percent pay increase offer last week, postponing a meeting where new ambassadorial appointments were to be made, and canceling overtime and car allowance payments.
The move came as the ministry’s workers committee for diplomatic employees stepped up its sanctions last week, after dismissing as “embarrassing” the pay raise increase offer by the Treasury.
RELATED:Foreign Ministry workers renew sanctions over salaries
Ministry workers have been waging a work dispute since February 2010 to equalize their pay and work conditions with those of Defense Ministry and Mossad employees. Last week, after rejecting the Treasury’s offer, the workers committee stepped up sanctions.
One ministry employee said the renewed sanctions meant no one in the ministry was working on the visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev scheduled on January 17, and that if there was not a breakthrough in the labor dispute in a number of days, the Russians may cancel that trip because they don’t want any glitches during the high-profile visit. Medvedev is scheduled to come to Israel as part of a regional tour.The Foreign Ministry’s management fired back on Sunday at its diplomatic workers, who rejected an eight percent pay increase offer last week, postponing a meeting where new ambassadorial appointments were to be made, and cancelling overtime and car allowance payments.
The move came as the ministry’s workers committee for diplomatic employees stepped up its sanctions last week, after dismissing as “embarrassing” the pay raise increase offer by the Treasury.
Ministry workers have been waging a work dispute since February 2010 to equalize their pay and work conditions with those of Defense Ministry and Mossad employees. Last week, after rejecting the Treasury’s offer, the workers committee stepped up sanctions.
One ministry employee said the renewed sanctions meant no one in the ministry was working on the visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev scheduled on January 17, and that if there was not a breakthrough in the labor dispute in a number of days, the Russians may cancel that trip because they don’t want any glitches during the high-profile visit. Medvedev is scheduled to come to Israel as part of a regional tour.