The Histadrut has been warned by the labor court to withdraw its support for a strike by El Al and the Ben Gurion Airport workers scheduled for Saturday, on the grounds that the labor federation cannot sanction a “political strike” without the customary two week’s warning period.
The airfield workers have said they will close down the international airport in sympathy with El Al workers whose incomes will be affected by the Cabinet’s decision to end all El Al Sabbath and Jewish holiday flights beginning this weekend.
Other unions which have promised to hold sympathy strikes on Saturday, saying they feel their own futures threatened by religious demands to halt Sabbath work (which is paid overtime at 100 and 200 percent extra wages) include the Electric Corporation, Haifa port, communications workers including telephone engineers, and seamen.
Meanwhile, all Tel Aviv courts, including the district and magistrates courts, were closed today by striking workers who barred entry to the public and officials and refused to handle telephones and files or do any paperwork. The workers are supporting a demand by administrative employes for equal extra payments to those recently granted to other court workers. The strike prevented the issue of remand and release orders.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.