Israel was spared an imminent bus strike today but some 3.000 physicians employed by Kupat Holim, the Histadrut sick-fund, went out on a general strike that closed down clinics all over the country and limited hospitals to skeleton staffs. The bus cooperatives, Dan and Egged, which control the country’s urban and inter-urban bus systems, yielded to an appeal by Transportation Minister Shimon Peres to postpone their general strike called for tomorrow until the issue in dispute–a fare hike–can be brought before the Cabinet again at its next regular meeting on Sunday.
The issue in the physicians’ strike is the appointment of Asher Yadlin, a non-medical man, as chief of Kupat Holim. The doctors insist that the post should be held by a physician. Histadrut leaders have called the strike unjust and some allege that the real motive may be to nationalize health services. Meanwhile, slowdowns and strikes continued at the Lod Airport customs house, in eight movie houses in Jerusalem and at the Gibor textile factory in Kiryat Shemona.
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.
