Ready to Protest — 7,400 Israeli Specialists on the Brink
The Social Workers' Union declared a labor dispute with municipalities due to increased workload after the Social Services Law for people with disabilities came into effect. About 7,400 specialists may go on strike. Workload increased without additional staff: one worker handles an average of 207 families, projected to reach 246 by 2030.
The Israeli Social Workers' Union declared a labor dispute with municipal authorities. The reason is a sharp increase in workload after the Social Services Law for people with disabilities came into effect. The law expanded social workers' duties: accompanying moves, developing programs, training, handling more cases. Meanwhile, staffing was not increased. One specialist currently handles an average of 207 families, projected to reach 246 by 2030. About 7,400 specialists are at risk of protesting. Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar-David expressed support for social workers and said it is unacceptable to shift responsibilities without resources. Union head Inbal Hermoni emphasized that the law is important, but one group's rights cannot be expanded at the expense of another's health. Negotiations with the Ministry of Social Welfare and the Center for Local Government over two years yielded no results.