The partial strike at Israel's ports is continuing, after the Histadrut rejected a National Labor Tribunal compromise proposal for intensive negotiations.
The partial strike at Israel's ports is continuing, with productivity at only 30%, after the Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel) rejected a compromise proposal by National Labor Tribunal president Judge Steve Adler. Adler proposed three weeks of intense negotiations, during which the workers would not strike and the responsible ministers would not sign orders to implement the Shipping and Ports Law (5764-2004).
Manufacturers are suffering, and Manufacturers Association president Oded Tyrah today reiterated his warning about the anarchy at the ports and the immense harm it was causing the economy. Tyrah proposes changing the negotiating format as follows: calling off the strike and holding continuous negotiations at a remote location, with each party appointing a negotiating team authorized to formulate an agreement in principle to resolve the crisis.
The Manufacturers Association estimates the damage from the ports strike at over NIS 2 billion. It believes that goods worth over NIS 2 billion intended for Israel are currently scattered across Mediterranean ports. 60 ships are now waiting for handling, 35 of which are already inside Israel's ports.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on July 27, 2004