Israel's largest trade union declares general strike, shuts down airport, ports
JERUSALEM: Israel's largest trade union began a sweeping general strike on Wednesday, shutting down the country's only international airport and all the seaports.
The strike began early Wednesday after the Histadrut labor union failed to reach an agreement with the government on providing funds to regional councils that have been unable to pay their workers for months.
The issue has been a sore-point between the Histadrut and the Finance Ministry for several years, with the government saying that poor planning and mismanagement by regional councils led them to near bankruptcy.
At Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport the lights were shut and all flights, incoming and outgoing, were canceled. Throughout the country trains came to a halt, government ministries kept their doors shut, garbage began piling up and the postal, phone and electric services stopped.
The Associated PressPublished: November 29, 2006