Katz promises new port tender within two months

The transport minister denied this morning's report in "Yediot Ahronot" of plans to use the army to break a port strike.

Interviewed on Galei Tzahal (IDF Army Radio) this morning, Minister of Transport Yisrael Katz said that "within two months, the reform of the ports will get underway at Haifa and Ashdod."

"A tender will be published for the construction of a new port that will compete with the existing ports, bringing down costs and the cost of living," Katz explained, "This will be a new quay outside the port, that is to say, a separate port. The concept of privatizing an existing port has not really proved itself, so we shall build a new one to compete with the existing ones. Quay against quay is something accepted all over the world, and it will create competition."

On the other hand, Katz denied the report in this morning's "Yediot Ahronot", saying he was not aware of any intention to bring in the army to operate the ports. "In the event of a wildcat strike at the ports in reaction to the reform, we shall promote fast-track legislation introducing compulsory arbitration in vital services, outlawing strikes in services vital to the economy, including the ports. If the ports fail to obey the law, we shall look to other means to ensure that the law is obeyed. The army is not part of these plans. Who is? We'll find foreign companies that will operate the ports, but I hope that it will not come to that."

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on May 19, 2013

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2013

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