1983 Israel doctors' strike

1983 strike by doctors in Israel The 1983 Israel doctors' strike was a 118-day strike by doctors in Israel from March to June 1983.28 June 1983 3,000 ISRAELI DOCTORS END HUNGER STRIKE https://www.nytimes.com/1983/06/28/world/3000-israeli-doctors-end-hunger-strike.html 10 October 2024 The New York Times6 April 2011 Picketing physicians bring back memories of earlier doctors' strikes - Haaretz Com https://www.haaretz.com/2011-04-06/ty-article/picketing-physicians-bring-back-memories-of-earlier-doctors-strikes/0000017f-dc0e-d856-a37f-fdce736b0000 Even Dan 10 October 2024 Haaretz1 April 1983 Behind the Headlines the Case of the Padded Bills https://www.jta.org/archive/behind-the-headlines-the-case-of-the-padded-bills 10 October 2024 Jewish Telegraphic Agency History Strike On 25 April, Minister of Finance Yoram Aridor made a speech in Knesset in which he accused the striking doctors of "to enrich themselves at the expense of their patients’ health."28 April 1983 No End in Sight for Doctors' Strike https://www.jta.org/archive/no-end-in-sight-for-doctors-strike 10 October 2024 Jewish Telegraphic Agency In late-May, the Israeli government threatened to call any doctors who served as reservists (around 40% of the striking doctors) up for military duty if they refused to end the strike. In response, the doctors organised a mass departure from the city into rural areas and the seaside, claiming that they were on vacation.24 May 1983 Cabinet Considering Military Call-up of Striking Doctors if They Ignore Back-to-work Orders https://www.jta.org/archive/cabinet-considering-military-call-up-of-striking-doctors-if-they-ignore-back-to-work-orders 10 October 2024 Jewish Telegraphic Agency On 25 May, the Ministry of Finance launched an advertising campaign publicising the salary scale doctors received, presenting their salaries as high.25 May 1983 Pay Scales of Doctors in Israel https://www.jta.org/archive/pay-scales-of-doctors-in-israel 10 October 2024 Jewish Telegraphic Agency On 27 May, doctors working for the Clalit Health Services agreed to treat chronically ill patients two days a week.27 May 1983 Kupat Holim Clinics Re-open on Limited Basis https://www.jta.org/archive/kupat-holim-clinics-re-open-on-limited-basis 10 October 2024 Jewish Telegraphic Agency On 1 June, the Israel Medical Association walked away from negotiations, saying that the government had not presented a new offer and that the negotiations were "useless."1 June 1983 Doctors Break off Negotiations https://www.jta.org/archive/doctors-break-off-negotiations 10 October 2024 Jewish Telegraphic Agency On 7 June, doctors announced that they would begin a tactic of ordering as many medical tests as possible from government hospitals for patients, with the goal of driving up the costs the government had to pay.8 June 1983 Doctors Plan New Tactic https://www.jta.org/archive/doctors-plan-new-tactic 10 October 2024 Jewish Telegraphic Agency Hunger strikes On 15 June, a number of doctors at the Soroka Medical Center began a hunger strike.15 June 1983 Doctors on Hunger Strike https://www.jta.org/archive/doctors-on-hunger-strike 10 October 2024 Jewish Telegraphic Agency The hunger strike quickly spread to doctors in other hospitals.24 June 1983 AROUND THE WORLD; Israeli Doctors' Strike Closes More Wards https://www.nytimes.com/1983/06/24/world/around-the-world-israeli-doctors-strike-closes-more-wards.html 10 October 2024 The New York Times On 20 June, Israeli media reported that there had been a significant clash within the Israeli cabinet, between Minister of Finance Yoram Aridor and Minister of Health Eliezer Shostak. According to the reports, Aridor opposed a settlement with the doctors and accused Shostak of "creating anarchy in the country," while Shostak proposed accepted the union's offer of arbitration without.20 June 1983 Begin Halts Cabinet Clash As Doctors Stage Hunger Strike https://www.jta.org/archive/begin-halts-cabinet-clash-as-doctors-stage-hunger-strike 10 October 2024 Jewish Telegraphic Agency On 23 June, the Rebecca Sieff Hospital announced that it would have to shut down for the duration of the strike, and the Rambam Hospital announced that it would only be able to treat Israeli soldiers wounded in the 1982 Lebanon War. The director of the Beilinson Hospital also announced his resignation in protest against the government.23 June 1983 3 Israeli Hospitals Close As Doctors' Hunger Strike Spreads; Fiery Knesset Debate https://www.jta.org/archive/3-israeli-hospitals-close-as-doctors-hunger-strike-spreads-fiery-knesset-debate 10 October 2024 Jewish Telegraphic Agency That same day, the Knesset voted 61 to 50 against a no-confidence motion in the government proposed by Hadash. During the debate, Minister of Health Eliezer Shostak accused Labour Alignment MK Yossi Sarid of being a "sheketz meshukatz... despised by all people in the State of Israel," and accused the Labour Alignment that "your hands have spilled this blood, and now those same hands are raised to support a Communist motion." Resolution On 27 June, with 3000 doctors on hunger strikes, the Israeli government announced that it would agree to the union's demand for arbitration.27 June 1983 Cabinet Agrees to Submit Doctors' Demands to Binding Arbitration: 3000 Doctors Now on Hunger Strike https://www.jta.org/archive/cabinet-agrees-to-submit-doctors-demands-to-binding-arbitration-3000-doctors-now-on-hunger-strike 10 October 2024 Jewish Telegraphic Agency Despite having threatening to resign if the government agreed to arbitration, Minister of Finance Yoram Aridor remained in his post.29 June 1983 Treasury Stresses New Taxes Needed to Pay Expected Rise in Salaries for Government Doctors https://www.jta.org/archive/treasury-stresses-new-taxes-needed-to-pay-expected-rise-in-salaries-for-government-doctors 10 October 2024 Jewish Telegraphic Agency Following the government's announcement, the doctors agreed to end the strike and return to work.27 June 1983 ISRAELIS ACT TO END DOCTOR STRIKE https://www.nytimes.com/1983/06/27/world/israelis-act-to-end-doctor-strike.html 7 October 2024 The New York Times28 June 1983 Doctors' Strike, Fast End As Arbitration Procedures Begin; Hospitals Re-open https://www.jta.org/archive/doctors-strike-fast-end-as-arbitration-procedures-begin-hospitals-re-open 10 October 2024 Jewish Telegraphic Agency On 7 July, the union and the government signed a formal agreement structuring the arbitration.7 July 1983 Doctors, Government Sign Agreement for Binding Arbitration of Strike Issues https://www.jta.org/archive/doctors-government-sign-agreement-for-binding-arbitration-of-strike-issues 10 October 2024 Jewish Telegraphic Agency In mid-July, the doctors and the government agreed to appoint Israel Atomic Energy Commission director Uzi Eilam as arbitrator. He would have a 40-day period in which to determine a judgment on wages and working hours.18 July 1983 Elam to Serve As Arbitrator of Issues in the Doctors' Strike https://www.jta.org/archive/elam-to-serve-as-arbitrator-of-issues-in-the-doctors-strike 10 October 2024 Jewish Telegraphic Agency In early September 1983, Eilam issued his judgment. The judgment included a 60% wage increase over two years as well as a 45-hour work week.8 September 1983 Mixed Reactions to Arbitrator's Decision on Doctors Wage Hike https://www.jta.org/archive/mixed-reactions-to-arbitrators-decision-on-doctors-wage-hike 10 October 2024 Jewish Telegraphic Agency Reactions Minister of Social Affairs Aharon Uzan said after the resolution that the government had "made every mistake that could possibly be made." Deputy Prime Minister David Levy stated that the government should have been involved in negotiations sooner.27 June 1983 Israeli medicos end 118-day strike https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/06/27/Israeli-medicos-end-118-day-strike/1015425534400/ Nadler Gerald 10 October 2024 UPI Analysis Impact of the strike A number of research studies have been carried out examining the impact of the strike on healthcare in Israel.Death rates and the 1983 doctors' strike in Israel Steinherz R January 14, 1984 Lancet 1 8368 107 10.1016/s0140-6736(84)90038-2 6140408 A 1985 study found that "the majority of parents who reported a child's illness did not defer seeking care" during the strike, with parents seeking care from nurses, emergency wards, private clinicians, and the alternative medical care centers set up by the striking doctors instead.Use of medical care by children during a physicians' strike A. Ron D. Karsh A. Zipkin M. Kahan June 12, 1985 Medical Care 23 6 789–798 10.1097/00005650-198506000-00004 4010361 A 1990 study found that groups with lower education "reported more need for physicians' care and more damage to health" during the strike, but were also "less critical of the parties involved in the strike."Social class differences in coping with a physicians' strike in Israel S. Carmel S. Barnoon T. Zalcman February 12, 1990 Journal of Community Health 15 1 45–57 10.1007/BF01350185 2341605 Ethical debates A 1985 paper in the Journal of Medical Ethics detailed several ethical dilemmas raised by the strike, including "the moral and traditional Jewish religious obligations of the doctor, their commitment to socialized medicine, and the compromising of quality of care by overworked physicians."Ethical dilemmas of the doctors' strike in Israel I. Grosskopf G. Buckman M. Garty June 12, 1985 Journal of Medical Ethics 11 2 70–71 10.1136/jme.11.2.70 4009636 1375149 Aftermath On 6 July 1983, administrative staff in the Israeli healthcare system staged a one-day strike over wages.6 July 1983 Israeli Hospitals Again in Trouble As Non-medical Personnel Walk out https://www.jta.org/archive/israeli-hospitals-again-in-trouble-as-non-medical-personnel-walk-out 10 October 2024 Jewish Telegraphic Agency References Category:Labor disputes in Israel Category:1983 in Israel Category:1983 labor disputes and strikes Category:Health and medical strikes