Gas station attendants at Sonol Israel Ltd. went on strike this morning, shutting down 160 of the company's 200 gas stations nationwide. Customers cannot buy gas, nor buy goods at the So Good convenience stores.
At 2 pm, the attendants are due to switch to work sanctions, and allow customers to buy gas.
Sonol's management has petitioned the Haifa District Labor Court for an injunction against the strike, but the court will only hear the case tomorrow.
The unionization of Sonol employees has become a cause célèbre of Israel's organized labor late, and a symbol of the Histadrut's (General Federation of Labor in Israel) in breaking its image as representing only the powerful workers committees.
Sonol's attendants called the strike because they claim that all employees received a bonus for 2009, except for the 1,600 gas station attendants.
Sonol workers committee chairman Shimon Sheetrit said, "It's interesting that the CEO 'forgot' the unionized employees. The company's managers told the workers that the bonus was denied because of the workers committee. This is clearly an attempt to block the unionizing effort."
Sheetrit added that Sonol's chairman and CEO received bonuses worth millions of shekels, which alone could meet the demands of the 1,600 gas station attendants.
Sonol is owned by David Azrieli-controlled Azrieli Group Ltd. (TASE: AZRG) subsidiary Granite Hacarmel Investments Ltd. (TASE: GRNT).
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 23, 2010
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