Negotiations between the Treasury and the Histadrut trade federation were expected to go on throughout Wednesday night, in a last-minute effort to avoid a massive labor strike that threatens to paralyze the country.
Israel’s large trade federation, comprising more than 100,000 workers at government-owned corporations, has called a 24-hour strike to begin Thursday.
Histadrut Secretary-General Haim Haberfeld has said the government and Histadrut had reached impasses over critical economic issues, including national health insurance, pension funds, wage erosion, the government’s privatization policy and the so-called “creeping introduction” of personal contracts into union shops.
Efforts were under way Wednesday to avoid work stoppages that would paralyze Ben-Gurion Airport and the telephone system. But the strike was expected to black out radio and television broadcasts, close the postal service, Israel Aircraft Industries, the water and electric companies, El Al, the railroads and other important services.
One Histadrut official, asked how workers would know whether to strike, said: “Listen to the radio. But if there is a strike, you won’t know anyway — as there will be no radio.”
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