----- Original Message ----- From: "Judyv" <judyv@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: bagrut "strike" Hello all and Shabat shalom!I have (unexpectedly) a great deal of time on my hands at the moment so I am
doing what I almost never have time to do i.e involve fellow Etniers in my thoughts about current issues... Concerning the so-called "strike" and for those who (may ) be entertaining feelings of guilt, I would like to comfort you with the following: 1) English examiners are NOT striking, we are refraining from undertaking a task that has proven to be detrimental to both our health and sanity (and our families'). We are not striking because we have no contract of employment with the Min of Ed. This contract is signed on the day of thetidruch, and we have not signed it yet. Furthermore, each and everyone of us
can be summarily dismissed if we are unable to live up to the high demands of marking the English Bagrut exams. Those of you who have already beenfired will surely know that that you are offered no form of compensation (as
is the norm in cases of dismissal from employment) you are just sent packing. Therefore I suggest that we should not perceive ourselves as strikers, but as people who are unwilling to accept the terms of employment offered to us. There is a gaping moral divide between the two. 2) Even 'BAGATZ" cannot serve us with a court order to return to work because we are under no contractual obligation to the Min of Ed. The flipside of the "we can use, abuse and dispose of you without compensation" coin
is "we don't choose to be hired under those conditions". Finally, I was somewhat concerned to read the article in Haaretz which stated: "In an apparent attempt to end the strike and reduce backlog, the ministrydecided on a more flexible approach. "The ministry is attentive and aware of
the evaluators' complaints," a spokesperson for the ministry, Michal Tzadoky, said. "We are even interested in reexamining the issue. The ministry regrets to hear that evaluators are not willing to stop the strike in spite of the ministry's promises to address their grievances."This kind of "politicospeak" is not foreign to the Israeli public in general
and I would respectfully remind the Min of Ed that we English teachers, in particular, are experts in "reading between the lines" in any language and the message here is loud and clear:We will drag this one out in an ad hoc committeee for as long as possible on
the basis of a wing and a promise, meanwhile get on with your work and stop bothering us. Well my message to them is this: FAINT HEART NEVER WON FAIR LADY AND PROMISES DON'T GROW PRIMROSES!!! judyv -----------------------------------------------** Etni homepage - http://www.etni.org or - http://www.etni.org.il **
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