Power Station Workers, Doctors Angry over Back-to-work Orders

Embittered power station workers in Elat announced today that they would refuse to cooperate with management on some internal procedures as a protest against the imposition of back-to-work orders which forced them to suspend their strike for more pay. Stressing that their strategy would not affect power supplies, the workers said they would make no registrations, would suspend follow-up activities on power supply reports, and would stop providing lists and statistics for the station’s accounting department. The Histadrut’s trade union department made a last-minute effort last night to work out an agreement with the station workers but it failed. The Medical Association of Israel said it was planning a one-hour strike of all physicians in Israel in protest against back-to-work orders which sent striking doctors back to work in government and municipal hospitals. The government doctors have boycotted the Health Ministry which has the function of working out a settlement with the doctors and other workers in government hospitals. The doctors have terminated all contacts with the Ministry, despite the refusal of Health Minister Victor Shemtov to sign the back-to-work orders, a stand demanded by Shemtov’s Mapam party which forced Premier Golda Meir to sign the order.