This morning's meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Histadrut chairman Ofer Eini and Manufacturers' Association president Shraga Brosh to discuss the wave of price rises ended without agreement. Minister of Finance Yuval Steinitz, Ministry of Finance director general Haim Shani and budget department director Udi Nissan also participated in the discussions.
Talks focused on preventing a general strike, which the Histadrut could call at the end of next week after proclaiming a labor dispute last Thursday.
After the meeting Eini said, "We presented to the prime minister all our reservations about his announcement (of concessions) last Thursday but we have yet to receive any answers."
Eini will meet Steinitz on Thursday in an attempt to prevent a general strike. Eini said, "After the meeting on Thursday we will decide how to proceed with our labor dispute."
On Saturday night, two days after Netanyahu announced his tax concessions, Eini, Brosh and Local Authorities Union head Shlomo Bohbot called the package, "confusing and unclear."
They called on Netanyahu to enter negotiations with them to reach an agreement on measure to ease the burden of rising prices.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on February 15, 2011
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