After dock workers in the Ports of Ashdod and Haifa walked off the job on Wednesday, 9 Sivan, Israel Railways employees on Thursday announced they will do the same beginning on Sunday, 13 Sivan. According to labor union officials the strike is because of unilateral measures taken by management that violate labor contracts. Labor leaders add that a ‘work dispute’ was declared as required under the nation’s labor law and therefore, the strike is legal.

The strike beginning on a Sunday will hit IDF personnel exceptionally hard and thousands and thousands of IDF personnel rely on the train to return to their bases after Shabbos.

Labor leaders are calling on management to immediately halt their unilateral actions and return to the negotiating table.

Israel Railways officials’ released the following message to the press. “Israel Railways management is sorrowed by the irresponsible behavior of the labor union on the backs of the general public, citizens of Israel. All of management’s repeated attempts including meetings were rejected by the labor union’s leaders. We regret the labor leaders fail to negotiate and reach leadership decisions. Several attractive offers were made but internal disagreement prevented them from reaching a decision”.

It is pointed out that despite a court order, dock workers failed to return to work on Thursday. This dispute surrounds the government signing agreements with foreign firms to operate two private ports in Haifa and Ashdod.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)