A new spate of labor troubles hit Israel today. Customs officials in Tel Aviv went on strike for extra pay, some 1200 El Al clerks staged a two-hour work stoppage at Lod Airport, and maintenance workers at the port of Ashdod resumed a rule-book slow-down that they had ended last week. The Tel Aviv customs house officials are demanding compensation for extra work they say they are forced to do because of a manpower shortage and which they say is paid to customs officials at Lod Airport.
The action by the El Al clerks delayed five flights to the U.S. and Europe this morning. El Al officials expressed surprise at the work stoppage because negotiations have been underway for some time and a negotiating session had been scheduled for this afternoon. Several hundred El Al passengers were affected by the delay. The Ashdod slow-down suspended repairs to dock machinery and equipment. The workers said that despite promised negotiations their demands have not been met.
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