Some 2,000 employees of medical laboratories at hospitals and the Clalit and Meuhedet health care providers went on strike on Sunday, with no end date announced.
On Thursday, negotiations between the lab workers' union and the Treasury fell apart after the two sides failed to reach any understandings.
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While the strike is in effect, labs will provide emergency services only, and lab services will not be available at clinics.
Tests for hospital units (other than lifesaving tests in emergency departments, trauma centers, and intensive care units) will not be processed. Blood work and other tests carried out for non-urgent surgeries will also not be processed. Tests for urgent surgical procedures, women giving birth, and cancer patients will be processed as usual.
However, tests for newborn babies will not be processed, a decision expected to delay the process of releasing mothers and newborns from the hospital.
Labs will continue to process coronavirus tests, but will provide data on positive results only in order to help the authorities cut off outbreaks.
Officials in the Association of Biochemists, Microbiologists, and Laboratory Workers said in response to Health Ministry Director-General Professor Hezi Levy's comment that he hoped the strike would end on Sunday by saying that since Thursday, there had been a "total disconnect" between the workers and the Treasury, and that no additional meetings had been scheduled.
Long before the coronavirus epidemic began in Israel, the country's lab workers were demanding a new pay scale that would offer a starting wage of at least 50 shekels ($14.87) per hour. Currently, newly-hired lab workers with post-graduate degrees earn 31 shekels ($9.22) per hour. However, private labs operated by the My Rating company pay four times as much.
Lab workers are also demanding that the government increase the number of positions, in accordance with population growth and consumption of health care services.
Dr. Raul Kolodner, director of laboratory services at Emek Medical Center in Afula said, "Unfortunately, we have reached the point of declaring an open-ended strike. I would like to ask our partners to show empathy for the lab workers who are fighting for their basic rights, who have been rejected for years. We have no intention of harming patients, and we will do everything possible to avoid putting lives in danger, heaven forbid."
Esther Admon, chairwoman of the Association of Biochemists, Microbiologists, and Laboratory Workers, said, "The government is treating us with contempt and ignoring us, the lab workers, despite the heavy responsibility we have shouldered, and even though we are putting our lives in danger on a daily basis. Our working conditions and pay are some of the most pathetic in Israel. We're ashamed."
The Treasury issued a statement in response: "In recent weeks, there have been negotiations about the laboratory workers' demands. In intensive negotiations thus far, agreements about some of the issues being discussed have been reached.
"On other issues, generous offers were made, but rejected. We regret that despite the agreement signed with the lab workers and the significant raises we gave them for processing corona tests, the association is choosing the take advantage of the situation and go on strike at a time that is very sensitive, both in terms of economics and in terms of public health. We are willing to go back to the negotiating table at any time, and call on the Association of Biochemists, Microbiologists, and Laboratory Workers to join the fight."
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