The Religious Councils now owe employees over NIS 400 million
in unpaid salaries Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs
Yitzhak Levy reported to the Knesset's State Control
Committee during a meeting to discuss dismantling the
Religious Affairs Ministry.
According to Levy the local councils owe the religious
councils NIS 250 million, with the balance consisting of
debts generated by increased cost of services and other
factors. He says pension payments constitute a heavy burden.
Levy proposes setting up a debt administration with
representatives from the Prime Minister's Office, the
Religious Affairs Ministry and the Finance Ministry who would
propose solutions to the problem.
On the dismantling of the Religious Affairs Ministry, he
promised no ministry employee would be neglected. Some would
be transferred to other ministries and understandings would
be reached with the remaining workers.
Ministry Director-General Attorney Meir Shpiegler said the
religious councils have been operating very earnestly in
recent years, yet they must stand in front of the Finance
Ministry periodically like beggars on the doorstep.
State Control Committee Chairman MK Nisan Salomiansky
(Mafdal) stated his grievances that NIS 50 million earmarked
to fund the pay of religious council employees and rabbonim
has vanished. "Where did this money disappear to?" he asked.
"Approximately 1,000 religious council employees have not
received pay for almost a year and not a word is said in
protest." He also lodged criticism against the absence of
Finance Ministry representatives at the meeting despite
announcing they planned to arrive. "This is evidence of the
Finance Ministry's scorn and its desire to shake off
Religious Affairs Ministry employees," he claims.
"In light of the severe figures showing religious services in
Israel are in a state of total collapse," MK Rabbi Moshe
Gafni asked Mafdal representatives, "if these problems are
not solved and religious services continue to collapse, then
will the Mafdal resign from the government or will it remain
a member?"
Representatives of the rabbonim and religious council
employees say although they have not been paid for a long
time they continue to provide religious services. Some of
them aimed criticism against the Histadrut for not assisting
them in their fight to receive wages.
For the next meeting the committee plans to summon the
Attorney General, the Chairman of the Center for Local
Government, the Histadrut Chairman and Finance Ministry
officials.
