Workers at the Israel Airports Authority have called off the strike at Ben Gurion Airport planned for Friday night and Saturday. The workers' committee is dissatisfied with the policy of the Airports Authority management on contract workers but progress has now been made on the issue allowing the strike to be cancelled.
The workers committee had previously said that it was striking after the negotiations on restrictions on the hiring contract workers had reached a deadlock. The Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel) declared a work dispute at the Airports Authority over a month ago because of its employment of contract workers.
Workers committee chairman Pinchas Idan said today, "It is unacceptable for the Airports Authority to expand this exploitative employment at a time when everyone is talking about ending the employment of contract workers."
The Airports Authority has 3,400 employees and 500 contract workers. The workers committee is demanding restrictions on the number of contract workers, their positions, and their rights.
According to the Histadrut and the workers representatives, the Airports Authority's policy is a severe blow to organized labor.
The Airports Authority administration said in response, "Management will meet this weekend to discuss the workers committee announcement of a work stoppage," and added, "Between Friday night and Saturday night, 30,000 passengers and 200 incoming and outgoing flights are expected to pass through Ben Gurion Airport."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on August 7, 2015
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