Histadrut plans to call a general strike Sunday that will idle about one million people, virtually the entire Israeli work force and paralyze the country.
Haim Haberfeld, head of Histadrut’s trade unions department, said the strike will take place unless an agreement is reached with the Treasury by Thursday.
The main issue is the amount of cost-of-living payments to compensate for last month’s devaluation of the shekel, which sent the prices of most goods and services soaring.
The planned strike will affect government agencies and offices on all levels and the private sector, including industrial plants.
The few exceptions include the airports and seaports, which will operate on a restricted Sabbath schedule. Only military, emergency or perishable cargoes will be handled.
Similarly, skeleton staffs will be maintained at the water supply and electric power corporations.
Radio and television, which are run by the government, will be blacked out. There will be no daily newspapers, and banks, which in the past seldom joined strikes, will be closed.
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