Kadima MK Yoel Hasson introduced a bill Tuesday preventing the country's air and sea ports from being included in a nationwide general strike.

The legislation would also prevent the Histadrut Labor Federation from calling a general strike without first receiving approval from the Labor Court.

Hasson said that, with all due respect to the Histadrut, which represents a wide array of workers, the organization cannot have exclusive control over the state's general "switch."

	Advertisement

He said the bill was designed to balance between the right of various employee unions' to strike and the state's obligation to ensure continued proper functioning during a strike. The bill is also designed to preserve the state's exclusive authority over its ports of entry and exit.

Hasson stressed that the bill would not prohibit professional unions and other individual organizations from striking due to labor disputes, but would solely prevent a strike from affecting all of the country's ports simultaneously.