Most post offices in Israel reopened today as striking employes observed a back-to-work order issued by a labor court last night at the request of the Communications Ministry. But there were no mail deliveries. The mail sorters, who work at night to prepare the next day’s delivery said the court order was issued too late for them to return to their jobs. As a result, there were long queues today, mainly of elderly pensioners, to pick up their national insurance checks.
Meanwhile, the town of Eilat was paralyzed by a half-day general strike today protesting the impending shutdown of the nearby Timna copper mines. The mines may close next month because of the world-wide slump in copper prices, forcing the layoff of several hundred workers who comprise a substantial portion of Eilat’s labor force.
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.