Ben Gurion International Airport Workers Go on Strike

The Ben Gurion International Airport workers' committee informed the Israel Airports Authority on Thursday that the airport will be closed this weekend from Friday afternoon until Saturday evening. The committee decided to make this move after the negotiations over the limit number of new contract workers at the airport reached a dead end.

The committee stated that over a month ago, the Histadrut, the general federation of labor in Israel, declared a work conflict with the Airports Authority due to the contract workers issue. According to the committee, the emergency services at the airport will operate as usual.

"Everyone is talking about eradicating the contract workers phenomenon in Israel, yet the Airports Authority is expanding this form of employment, which exploits employees," chairman of the workers' committee, Pinhas Idan, stated.

The Israel Airports Authority's statement read: "The Airports Authority management met in order to discuss the workers' committee's announcement of a strike over the weekend. Some 30 thousand passengers are expected to pass through the airport over the weekend."

Two weeks ago, the Finance Ministry and the Histadrut reached an understanding, thus preventing the strike that was scheduled as a protest against the contract workers phenomenon. In a joint press conference held by Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and Chairman of the Histadrut Avi Nissenkorn, they announced that the contract workers should be fully employed and that their conditions should be improved.