While the Ministry of Foreign Affairs workers’ committee has shut down Israeli embassies around the world in protest against low wages, “Globes” has obtained data indicating that 42% of Foreign Ministry employees are paid more than NIS 20,000 per month when working in Israel. The salaries of diplomats serving abroad can reach NIS 65,000. Ministry of Finance Department of Wages figures indicate, for example, that the head of mission in Berlin enjoys a NIS 65,828 salary each month, along with an official residence, and an Audi A6. The Israeli ambassador in Brussels earns NIS 63,914, plus an official residence, and an Audi A6.
The Department of Wages rejects the Foreign Ministry workers’ wage demands, and says that the employee salary agreement was increased by 20% only two and a half years ago. According to the Ministry of Finance, the average monthly salary for diplomats serving in Israel is NIS 21,000.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs workers’ committee claims that the Ministry of Finance figures are “unfounded and untrue.” According to the workers’ committee, Ministry of Foreign Affairs salaries are significantly lower than implied by the figures released by the Ministry of Finance, and lower than the figures they submitted to the mediator. “A Foreign Ministry diplomat’s starting monthly salary is NIS 5,700 gross for the first five years, and after ten years, during which, due the nature of the position, the diplomat is usually his or her family’s sole provider, salaries reach NIS 9,000 gross. Salaries for Israeli diplomats have not changed in more than a decade, and do not allow for a dignified existence,” said the workers’ committee statement.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on March 24, 2014
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