Teachers protesting salary cuts said Tuesday evening they plan to continue disrupting the educational system on Wednesday and are threatening mass resignations if government representatives do not return to the negotiating table.

More than 400 educational institutions remained closed Tuesday as teaching staff called in sick in continued action over surprise salary cuts.

The strike began with a delayed opening of elementary schools on Sunday, following a Finance Ministry decision to cut government salaries by 3.3 percent amid the war in Gaza. Some teachers did not report to work until 10 a.m., and others did not show up at all, with many schools opting to remain closed for the entire day. Some 25,000 teachers reportedly joined Sunday’s action.

That same day, the ministry reached an agreement with the Israel Teachers Union that pay would be cut by 0.95% instead of the original 3.3%, and that the cut would only be in effect from May to the end of December 2025.

The starting salary for new teachers in Israel is just $2,490 a month. Experienced teachers can

© The Times of Israel