Last update - 00:00 01/11/2006
Workers' strike causes delays at Ben Gurion International Airport
By Zohar Blumenkrantz, Haaretz Correspondent
An Israel Airports Authority workers' union strike disrupted flights at Ben Gurion International Airport for the second straight day on Thursday.
The short-term strike went into effect Wednesday afternoon in protest of plans to layoff 120 temporary airport employees.
Roughly 500 workers are participating in the strike, despite an injunction issued by the Tel Aviv District Labor Tribunal ordering them to resume working.
El Al Airlines announced that all its flights would be delayed by four hours, and the Israel Airports Authority called in permanent workers to replace the temporary employees on strike.
Israel Radio reported that normal operations at the airport resumed Thursday morning.
The labor tribunal is to continue deliberating on the strike Thursday afternoon.
Negotiations between airport management and the workers' union over the mass dismissals have been ongoing for two weeks. Notices for dismissal hearings were sent to the 120 employees this week.
"The management decided, unexpectedly and behind our backs, and despite negotiations, to send the dismissal notices to the workers. The management is still acting behind our [the workers] backs, and its purpose is to bypass workers' contracts and block veteran workers from receiving tenure," a member of the labor union said.
Airports' Authority management said in response, that "the dismissal hearings are annual and procedural. Each year we match the manpower we have to the amount needed in the airport. The director-general of the authority, Gabi Ophir, ordered the dismissal notices delayed until after the holidays. In the past two weeks, we have been conducting talks, yet no advancement has been made."