Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Histadrut chairman Ofer Eini met for an hour on Sunday evening and agreed that Prime Minister's Office director general Harel Locker and Histadrut Trade Union Division chairman Avi Nissenkoren would meet this week to reach understandings, taking responsibility for the economic situation into account. Afterwards, Netanyahu and Eini will meet again.
This means that the Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel) will not launch a general strike at this time over the publication by the government of two tenders for the construction of private ports at Ashdod and Haifa without prior consultations with the workers.
Yesterday, Eini cancelled the press conference scheduled at his office in Tel Aviv, after Netanyahu called him to ask for a one-on-one meeting. Eini had announced last Thursday that he would hold the press conference.
"Netanyahu apparently realized that he did not want a confrontation, especially when his government is so fragile," a Histadrut source told "Globes" yesterday.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 8, 2013
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2013