This morning, the Ashdod Port Workers Committee affiliated with the Histadrut (General Labor Union in Israel) announced “organizational measures” that the port administration described as a “random strike.” The committee says that the reason for the strike is to give preference to temporary workers in working shifts at the expense of old employees.
The Histadrut said in a statement: “The Ashdod Port administration has failed to adhere to the agreements concluded with the Workers’ Committee. Regulatory procedures are now underway for the Ashdod Port. A professional team from the Transport and Ports Union is holding discussions with the management and the Workers’ Committee.”
The temporary workers were hired because of the queues that built up outside the port, which during the war also provided various services to the armed forces.
Last October, the port’s board of directors announced approval to employ 85 temporary loading and unloading workers, for periods of up to two years, according to agreements signed with the Histadrut.
A statement issued this morning on behalf of the Port of Ashdod said: “The Operations Committee at the Port of Ashdod began a random and illegal strike this morning, without prior warning, and contrary to the agreements signed between the company and the Histadrut, which caused the Ashdod Port Company to not accept such behavior, and it has “I have already applied to the Employment Tribunal this morning to deal with the matter.”
Hiring additional manpower is crucial to efforts to reduce the queues that have built up outside Israeli ports, and which have worsened since the ceasefire in the north. This morning, 24 ships were waiting outside the port of Ashdod, and 30 other ships were waiting outside the northern ports. Steel importers have warned of steel shortages at construction sites, and claim that NIS 150 million worth of steel is floating in traffic jams at the ports. They are demanding that the government come up with an arrangement at the ports to free up berths that currently handle general cargo containers such as steel and wood. Construction contractors that Globes spoke to said there is no difficulty at the moment.
Published by Globes, Israel Business News – en.globes.co.il – on January 5, 2025.
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