The struggle between the Israel Electric Corporation's (IEC) workers committee and the new IEC chairman, Shlomo Rothman escalated today. In response to a threat by workers committee leaders to prevent the IEC board from meeting at its usual venue at the IEC headquarters on Hahashmal St. in Tel Aviv, the IEC board decided to hold the meeting at "a secret location." (Hashashmal St. means "Electricity St." in Hebrew).
Last night, the workers committee told the IEC board that it would disrupt the upcoming board meeting at IEC's headquarters. The board therefore decided to change the venue. An IEC spokesman declined to disclose the new venue for the board meeting. The meeting, which was still ongoing as of web-posting, is apparently being held at the Dan Panorama Hotel in Tel Aviv.
The IEC workers committee this week decided to launch labor sanctions against the board, after it decided on two significant streamlining measures: a cut of 400,000 overtime hours from the current quota of 5.7 million hours; and reducing the number of temporary employees. Rothman recommended the measures.
The IEC workers committee reacted furiously, saying the decision would seriously harm service to the public.
Rothman said streamlining would be carried out in full consultation with the employees' representatives, and instructed IEC president and CEO Jacob Razon to open talks.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on December 23, 2004