The Israeli government has decided to cut wages by 10 percent for all ministers and Knesset members. They want the parliament to lead by example, as a consequence of Israel facing a severe recession triggered by the Corona crisis that has hit the country, writes the newspaper Israel Hayom.
The government has also instructed the Ministry of Finance to look at similar pay cuts across the public sector, including the salaries of President Reuven Rivlin, the country’s judges and rapporteur across Israel.
The politicians have also decided to freeze the annual wage increase, which is scheduled to take effect in early 2021. The measure will immediately save the Treasury more than 16 million kroner, but the amount will be multiplied if a broad wage reduction is introduced in the public sector. sector.
Several of the ministers who support the pay cut thought it was important to set an example, as the private sector has been hit hard by the fact that society has now been shut down twice. Nearly one million Israelis have become unemployed. Read MIFF’s article on Israel’s biggest economic downturn in 40 years.