Hi everyone,
Second day of a general labor strike here in Israel. These things can get quite impressive. The Tel Aviv airport (our main one) has been shut down until noon both days. Banks are closed and I'm expecting bank machines to run dry any minute. No garbage collection. Trains stopped. No school (except special education). Universities shut down. Government offices and services closed. Right now it feels like a holiday but it could get grim if this extends into next week.
But the Labor Federation went on strike for a good cause this time: the outsourced workers. Israel has one of the highest levels of outsourcing in the world, hiring people from external companies to do the work of regular employees at much lower salaries and no benefits. I know, because I do it myself, and have technicians as both regular employees and outsourced employees. I know the difference in what they get, and it makes me feel guilty. I'm forced by my organization to do this but it isn't nice at all.
In particular it is not nice because it affects the more vulnerable part of the population: cleaning staff, secretaries, K-12 teachers and people like that. Mostly women, many new immigrants. They support families on a pittance, get no health insurance or social security investments while working this way. Worse, companies are more likely to hire outsourced workers rather than regular employees because they are cheaper and do not have the protection of the unions.
The Labor Federation is pushing to get equal wages for equal work for the outsourced workers, which would really discourage companies and government authorities like mine from outsourcing. This would mean most employees would be union members. You can say, aha, the unions are protecting themselves. Of course. But they are also fighting for the rights of people who are not union members, and that's the most noble strike action I've seen here in years. Fighting for the weak and vulnerable is what unions should do. So I'm happy to go along despite inconvenience and maybe losing some work days. I support this strike action.
It's been a sad week in some ways, though. I lost a second cat. Zap, a rescue from the cat shelter where I volunteered some years back, finally succumbed to kidney failure and stopped eating. I took him to the vet but he was too far gone, so I had him put down. I know the drill, since most cats die of kidney failure if they live long enough, and he had nothing ahead of him but misery.
Here's a picture of Zap in 2006, when I had just got him:
One summer day I arrived at the cat shelter and heard a loud wailing. One cat in there was having hysterics. I asked what was going on, and the staff told me they just got this cat who cannot stand other cats. He'd been going nuts for days. I took pity on him and took him home where at least he could go outside if he couldn't stand my other cats. He had quite a history: the husband of his previous owner had thrown the cat over a balcony and broke the poor creature's hip. Although the cat healed, it was agreed at the vet that it wasn't safe to send him home again, so he ended up at the shelter. Well, he had six good years with me. He was always a bit grumpy but he had his happy moments too (when he would stick out his tongue and purr). He never learned to like any other cats but one:
Sadly, Gingy also succumbed to kidney failure as an FIV cat. Both gone now.
So that was Monday, and on Tuesday I decided to take a day off and clear my head a little. I went to the Bible Lands Museum, the little sister of the Israel Museum, focused on the lands surrounding Israel and strictly on archeology. It's a real gem, this place, and twice as big as the last time I saw it. I had expected to spend a couple hours there and ended up spending four, totally saturated. It has become a respectable Museum of the Middle East and is very well done. The Antiquities Authority is building right next to it, which means my paradise in retirement will be the museum campus. I will volunteer there and spend my golden years putting together Chalcolithic pottery or some such task.
Which reminds me, I had an interview with our pension adviser and had a basic question about benefits if I retire at 62 versus 64. The difference would be about 700 ILS per month (e.g.200 dollars), which is negligible. So I have freedom to stay or go at 62, depending on the situation at work. It's nice to have this kind of freedom, since 62 is only three years away, and a lot of changes are taking place at work. I'm not sure I want to stay longer, but have a wait and see strategy right now.
Back at work on Wednesday, feeling rested and ready to pick up again. Of course the strike had started and things were malfunctioning. Worst, I had results of a critical lab test at the health clinic waiting for me on-line and was anxious to see the outcome, but the darn Internet service at work was not functioning right. Finally I worked around it and downloaded my lab test. One out of three occult blood tests had turned up positive last summer but my doctor and I had decided to wait and try again in six months to see if it was still positive, and this was the test. I was sweating; having had one colonoscopy four years ago, I wasn't keen to do it again. Nope, this one was negative. Best news all week. Uff, the joys of old age.
Well, today is better. The sun is shining. Just a hint of spring in the air here, although I understand the red anemones are blooming in the Negev.
Spring will soon come again, the flowers will bloom and the sun will give some warmth. I'm more than ready to lie on my stomach out on the grass in the sun and smell the flowers, along with my cats. It won't be long now.
shabbat shalom,
Linda
Second day of a general labor strike here in Israel. These things can get quite impressive. The Tel Aviv airport (our main one) has been shut down until noon both days. Banks are closed and I'm expecting bank machines to run dry any minute. No garbage collection. Trains stopped. No school (except special education). Universities shut down. Government offices and services closed. Right now it feels like a holiday but it could get grim if this extends into next week.
But the Labor Federation went on strike for a good cause this time: the outsourced workers. Israel has one of the highest levels of outsourcing in the world, hiring people from external companies to do the work of regular employees at much lower salaries and no benefits. I know, because I do it myself, and have technicians as both regular employees and outsourced employees. I know the difference in what they get, and it makes me feel guilty. I'm forced by my organization to do this but it isn't nice at all.
In particular it is not nice because it affects the more vulnerable part of the population: cleaning staff, secretaries, K-12 teachers and people like that. Mostly women, many new immigrants. They support families on a pittance, get no health insurance or social security investments while working this way. Worse, companies are more likely to hire outsourced workers rather than regular employees because they are cheaper and do not have the protection of the unions.
The Labor Federation is pushing to get equal wages for equal work for the outsourced workers, which would really discourage companies and government authorities like mine from outsourcing. This would mean most employees would be union members. You can say, aha, the unions are protecting themselves. Of course. But they are also fighting for the rights of people who are not union members, and that's the most noble strike action I've seen here in years. Fighting for the weak and vulnerable is what unions should do. So I'm happy to go along despite inconvenience and maybe losing some work days. I support this strike action.
It's been a sad week in some ways, though. I lost a second cat. Zap, a rescue from the cat shelter where I volunteered some years back, finally succumbed to kidney failure and stopped eating. I took him to the vet but he was too far gone, so I had him put down. I know the drill, since most cats die of kidney failure if they live long enough, and he had nothing ahead of him but misery.
Here's a picture of Zap in 2006, when I had just got him:
One summer day I arrived at the cat shelter and heard a loud wailing. One cat in there was having hysterics. I asked what was going on, and the staff told me they just got this cat who cannot stand other cats. He'd been going nuts for days. I took pity on him and took him home where at least he could go outside if he couldn't stand my other cats. He had quite a history: the husband of his previous owner had thrown the cat over a balcony and broke the poor creature's hip. Although the cat healed, it was agreed at the vet that it wasn't safe to send him home again, so he ended up at the shelter. Well, he had six good years with me. He was always a bit grumpy but he had his happy moments too (when he would stick out his tongue and purr). He never learned to like any other cats but one:
Sadly, Gingy also succumbed to kidney failure as an FIV cat. Both gone now.
So that was Monday, and on Tuesday I decided to take a day off and clear my head a little. I went to the Bible Lands Museum, the little sister of the Israel Museum, focused on the lands surrounding Israel and strictly on archeology. It's a real gem, this place, and twice as big as the last time I saw it. I had expected to spend a couple hours there and ended up spending four, totally saturated. It has become a respectable Museum of the Middle East and is very well done. The Antiquities Authority is building right next to it, which means my paradise in retirement will be the museum campus. I will volunteer there and spend my golden years putting together Chalcolithic pottery or some such task.
Which reminds me, I had an interview with our pension adviser and had a basic question about benefits if I retire at 62 versus 64. The difference would be about 700 ILS per month (e.g.200 dollars), which is negligible. So I have freedom to stay or go at 62, depending on the situation at work. It's nice to have this kind of freedom, since 62 is only three years away, and a lot of changes are taking place at work. I'm not sure I want to stay longer, but have a wait and see strategy right now.
Back at work on Wednesday, feeling rested and ready to pick up again. Of course the strike had started and things were malfunctioning. Worst, I had results of a critical lab test at the health clinic waiting for me on-line and was anxious to see the outcome, but the darn Internet service at work was not functioning right. Finally I worked around it and downloaded my lab test. One out of three occult blood tests had turned up positive last summer but my doctor and I had decided to wait and try again in six months to see if it was still positive, and this was the test. I was sweating; having had one colonoscopy four years ago, I wasn't keen to do it again. Nope, this one was negative. Best news all week. Uff, the joys of old age.
Well, today is better. The sun is shining. Just a hint of spring in the air here, although I understand the red anemones are blooming in the Negev.
Spring will soon come again, the flowers will bloom and the sun will give some warmth. I'm more than ready to lie on my stomach out on the grass in the sun and smell the flowers, along with my cats. It won't be long now.
shabbat shalom,
Linda
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