Israel Electric Corporation workers call off strike until March 11
Workers union agrees to abide by Labor Court injunction temporarily prohibiting employees' sanctions.
By Haim Bior and Sharon Kedmi, Zvi ZrahiaIsrael Electric Corporation's (IEC) workers union said on Wednesday it would refrain from going on strike until March 11.
In a joint statement, IEC workers union chairman, Miko Tsarfati and the Histadrut labor union said they would abide by a Labor Court injunction temporarily prohibiting union sanctions.
In his ruling, Labor Court Judge Rami Cohen also instructed the state to freeze the drafting of planned reforms in the energy industry.
On Tuesday, IEC employees went on strike to protest the government's plan to privatize the state-owned company, causing numerous blackouts in the Ashdod and Ashkelon areas in the south of the country.
The strike was a response to the proposal approved by the government on Sunday which would have IEC split into a number of companies, each dealing with either production or distribution of electricity.
According to the approved plan, by 2013 at least 49 percent of production and distribution facilities would be privately owned.
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Privatization of utilities and services only benifits the buyers. In country after country where this has happened, prices have risen while efficiency has declined, (look at England). Additionally, the new owners recieve grants and subsidies. In Israel a few rich families have control of its industry. This privatization will add to their wealth and of course their political clout, which of course they are using now to grab more of the spoils.
March it seems has always been the season for strikes. The average israelis are fed up with this monopoly, let these spoiled bastards strike. I can't wait for the reaction they will get, and they will get a very bitter reaction. The people are not on their side. They can forget about sympathy they will get a war.
They got smart I guess, they realized that the public is whole hardly against them and are sick and tired of them complaining when they have had free electricity all these years , and now they complain when they will lose it, welcome to the real world people! The public has no sympathy for you guys whatsover!