General Strike Called Off at Last Minute

A general strike over the issue of worker safety was averted in last-minute negotiations on Tuesday night.

The strike would have shut down on Wednesday airports, banks and all government offices, to protest lax safety standards at construction sites which have resulted in numerous deaths and injuries in recent months.

Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon met with Histadrut Chairman Avi Nissenkorn in the former’s office in Tel Aviv, where a settlement was reached. Improvements were promised in scaffolding, working conditions at dangerous heights, handling of cranes, licensing of contractors, and more.

However, not everyone viewed the settlement in heroic terms.

Zionist Camp MK Shelly alleged it was a hoax.

“Kahlon and Nissan Korn’s announcement was baseless and was staged from start to finish.” No one believed for a moment that the economy was bad and that Korn was out against his political partner, Yachimovich said, according to Arutz Sheva.

“The Histadrut has entire sections that are rich in means and money to deal with the safety of workers, and it does not lift a finger in itself, shameful that the poorest workers, who pay with their lives, brutally served as a means of a public relations week.”