JERUSALEM, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The Israel Teachers Union on Tuesday announced the shutdown of all elementary schools and kindergartens on Wednesday.

       "We have been negotiating with the Finance Ministry for six months, but we have not yet received a single concrete proposal," the union's secretary-general Yaffa Ben-David said in the statement.

       "This is a national emergency and a tangible danger to Israel's future," Ben-David said. "Only a pay agreement will prevent teachers from leaving, which leads to the collapse of the system."

       Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman said he is in favor of teachers and for a significant improvement in their employment conditions. "There is a chance to make a big change, and it must not be missed," the minister said.

       The strike does not apply to the upper grades, 7th to 12th, who have gone on summer vacation on Monday.