Strikes, Slowdowns Hit Israel

About 200,000 Israeli workers in various branches of public service were involved today in a new wave of labor strife ranging from actual strikes, threatened strikes to damaging work slowdowns. Avraham Shavit, president of the Manufacturers Association, described the situation as verging on “national suicide.”

A three-day strike by postal employees which paralyzed mail collection and deliveries and shut down all communications except telex is due to end tonight. But the workers warned they would call a strike of indefinite duration unless their demands are met within 10 days.

Air traffic controllers said today that they would ignore back-to-work orders issued by the courts at the time of their last strike. They said they would walk off the job en-masse to seek medical treatment for what they said was the emotional tension of having to work under a court order.

Customs inspectors at Haifa port started a work slowdown. Their output is about one-fifth of normal. So far citrus exports, the port’s main activity at this time of year, have not been affected but that activity is expected to feel the pinch if the slowdown continues. Meanwhile, the mandatory 14-day strike notice will soon expire for thousands of public employees including teachers, scientists, psychologists and physicians. If these groups carry out their strike threats, the country’s public services will be paralyzed.

Shavit decried what he called a state of anarchy. “It seems that somebody consciously began the process of national suicide,” he said at an emergency meeting of the Manufacturers Association’s executive. “What is happening now in the economy is real sabotage and self-damage without precedent.” Shavit declared. He denounced workers who shut down public services as enemies of the State and warned that “if we want to avoid calamity we must return to our right mind. One cannot destroy a whole country just because somebody wants something,” he said.