Monday, 12 Iyar 5773, marks the second day of the strike of Israeli airlines, including El Al, Arkia and Israir. The airlines walked out in protest over the Open Skies plan, which was approved by the cabinet on Sunday.
Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz on Sunday night spoke with Channel 2 TV News. The minister questioned the point of the strike since as he put it “the plan was approved and will not be retracted. After all, the plan will bring increased flights, increased tourism and more jobs.”
Other government officials explain the plan to open the aerial routes to and from Israel to other carriers is a blessing, for travelers will have additional options and as a result, service will improve as prices will have to go down.
Senior labor official Avi Edri sees a different picture, and he insists the implementation of the Open Skies program will result in the loss of 17,000 jobs in Israel – confident that if compelled to take his case to the National Labor Court the court will side with the unions. Giving additional legitimacy to the strike is the backing of Ofir Eini and his Histadrut national labor federation.
In a showing of solidarity, the labor federation has approved a four-hour shutdown of all flights in Ben-Gurion International Airport on Tuesday 13 Iyar. Following the morning four-hour strike there will be work sanctions during the day, which will include delays in handling luggage for example.
At present, the strike only targets outgoing flights on Israeli airlines leaving Tel Aviv but as a result, planes that were expected to arrive at countries abroad to take home passengers remain grounded. This has left many travelers in stranded around the globe.
Edri tells the media on Monday morning that he and his colleagues cannot back down for there is too much at stake and therefore, the open-ended strike will continue until the government agrees to negotiate. He stresses he is not seeking to cancel the Open Skies plan, but he and his colleagues wish to modify it.
Channel 2 adds that in line with Israeli law, the airlines are compelled to “limit the damage” to travelers stranded as their flights back home to Israel are on hold. However, the amount one may hope to collect in the form of compensation is negligible and in most cases, not enough to bring a smile to the faces of those travelers waiting to get back to Ben-Gurion Airport.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
the airlines are too greedy for their own good
This could create quite a nightmare for Lag Baomer, no?
Reserving the right to quote:
for those that don’t know
Deputy Speaker of the Knesset – Leading National Likud party Rising Minister of Knesset and member of more knesset committes than any knesset member.
most importantly the founder and president of the Jewish Leadership Movement Manhigut Yehudit (largest faction in the leading likud party)
Moshe Feiglin: I am writing this from a traffic jam caused by the striking El Al workers and that is fine with me. (El Al workers went on strike today to protest the new “Open Skies” law that will open the aviation industry to competition). I am happy because it is good that in our country people have the liberty to protest in this way. If they want to block the roads, let them block the roads. They must remember, though, not to complain when they are brought to trial. That is also part of the democratic game.
I am also happy about the new law. What Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz just did to the aviation market is identical to what former Communications Minister Moshe Kachlon did to the cell-phone market. Competition is excellent and should be applied to the railroads, electricity, ports and every other place where large companies control the entire market. In a competitive market, everyone ultimately has more free income and more places to work. Do you remember when the strongest cell-phone provider, Pelephone, went on strike? Are there fewer workers employed by the cellular market today or more?
The real reason that foreign airlines will succeed over Israeli ones: They don’t strike!