Judge Steve Adler orders ports reform removed from the budget talks, for now.
National Labor Court Judge Steve Adler last night ordered the Ministry of Finance not to include new port reforms in the 2009 economics arrangements bill that it will distribute to the ministries tomorrow, at least until the next hearing on the subject on September 21. He also ordered the port workers to return to regular work, after a week of disruptions, which included hundreds of workers abandoning their posts last night to hold a demonstration outside the courthouse.
Until the date of the next hearing, Minister of Finance Ronnie Bar-On, Minister of Transport Shaul Mofaz, and Histadrut chairman Ofer Eini will negotiate. Eini has the advantage in these talks, because Mofaz has already said that he wants the reform removed from the economics arrangements bill. The Ministry of Transport last month notified the Ministry of Finance that while it supported the ports reform in principle, it "was unaware that there had been no consulting the workers."
Last week, the Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel) announced a labor dispute at the ports after the cabinet approved the economics arrangements bill, which included an item giving Israel Ports Development & Assets Company Ltd. landlord rights at the ports.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on September 3, 2008
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