Trade Union Friends of Israel

Israeli Industrial News: National Labour Tribunal orders port employees back to work
Israel’s National Labour Tribunal ordered all Israel's port employees to return to full capacity work on 9 September. The decision was made following labour strikes launched on 25 August to protest against a new clause, passed by Israel’s cabinet, which would allow the use of private contractors in Israeli ports. To settle the long-running dispute, the court gave the Israeli government, the Histadrut (Israeli TUC) and private employees three weeks to negotiate the disagreements between the parties, but as yet no agreement has been signed.

Data released by the Israeli Manufacturers Association has shown that the eight days of disrupted work at the ports cost £160 million due to slowed loading and unloading activities, stranded ships and vessels leaving without any export goods.

International Trade Union News: Carpenters criticise fellow unions on Israel
The Canadian Council of Carpenters unanimously endorsed a resolution on 8 September rejecting descriptions of Israel as an apartheid state while calling for an end to threats of boycott and divestment. The union, which represents 60,000 workers throughout Canada, also explicitly criticised other trade unions that have attempted “to undermine the legitimacy of Israel’s democracy.”

Ucal Powell, president of the Carpenters’ District Council of Ontario said: “Unlike many neighbouring countries, Israel has an active trade union movement that participates freely in Israeli society… and supporting a boycott or sanctions against Israel risks reinforcing terrorist groups and does little to encourage the well-being of workers in the region.”

Israeli Industrial News: Tel Aviv Stock Exchange reaches agreement with workers
The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) struck an agreement with its employees on 11 September, putting an end to months of negotiations and shortened trading sessions.

Under the terms of the agreement, employees will receive an annual wage increase of 4.6 percent over the next three years. In addition, the TASE management agreed to permanently hire 30 of its contracted workers. The TASE currently has around 250 employees, 100 of which are contractors.

Israeli Industrial News: Disruptions at Ben-Gurion as ground staff strike
More than 20 flights were cancelled or delayed on 13 September when employees of the ground services company Aerohandling initiated a labour slowdown at Ben-Gurion International Airport to protest against working conditions. Employees say Aerohandling is not paying them for holidays or overtime, as required by law, and they are forced to work 14 to 15 hour shifts, sometimes for 10 consecutive days.

The current labour protests began in June 2008 when 64 flight attendants and ground service operators lodged a formal complaint with the Histadrut.

Israeli Industrial News: Jerusalem journalists propose forum to confront crisis facing Israeli and Palestinian media staff
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) have spoken out against restrictions on freedom of movement facing reporters in Palestine and have proposed a joint forum with Palestinian colleagues to deal with a range of problems facing media and journalists in the region. At the meeting on 18 September, held in Jerusalem, they also suggested setting up a hotline to help journalists in trouble.

"This would be a major step forward for journalists," said General Secretary of the IFJ, Aidan White. "Joint action by Israeli and Palestinian journalists to tackle problems both groups face - such as restrictions on freedom of movement - will strengthen efforts to remove obstacles to the exercise of journalism."

British Trade Union News: Brendan Barber praises Histadrtu/PGFTU agreement at TUC Congress
The message of the landmark agreement between the Histadrut (Israeli TUC) and the Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) quickly spread through the TUC Congress, which was held at the beginning of September. Brendan Barber, in his opening speech to conference, congratulated Guy Ryder of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) for mediating between the two federations and praised them for coming together, despite all the difficulties. He said he hoped the agreement would “carve a path that political leaders could now follow”.

The importance of the agreement was reaffirmed by Avital Shapira-Shabirow, head of the Histadrut’s International Department, at TUFI’s TUC fringe event. Mrs Shapira-Shabirow, one of the key representatives during the negotiations, told the gathering of over 70 delegates that the agreement would help Palestinian workers and improve their day-to-day lives, have positive repercussions for the wider ongoing peace process and “pave the way for continuous co-operation”. She said, categorically, that all financial issues between the Histadrut and the PGFTU had been settled with nearly £2 million transferred to the PGFTU in July 2008.

Israeli affairs: Livni wins Israel party primary
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni won the leadership of the governing Kadima party on 17 September, putting her on track to succeed Ehud Olmert as prime minister. Ms Livni beat Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz by just 431 votes, 1.1%.

In her victory speech, Ms Livni announced that she wanted to form a new cabinet "as quickly as possible in the face of the serious threats" facing Israel. She has until 29 October to do so, during which time Mr Olmert will remain prime minister. If she can form a fresh governing coalition Ms Livni will become Israel's first woman prime minister since Golda Meir stepped down in 1974.

Ms Livni has been the chief negotiator during the on-going peace process talks with the Palestinian Authority and has promised that the peace talks will not stall while she tries to form a new coalition government.

Middle East Peace Process: Olmert says Israel has to return occupied lands to achieve peace
The Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, said his country would have to withdraw from "almost all" the land it captured in the 1967 war and divide Jerusalem in order to agree long-awaited peace deals with the Palestinians and Syria. His comments came just days after his resignation. He said: "We have to reach an agreement with the Palestinians, the meaning of which is that in practice we will withdraw from almost all the territories, if not all the territories. We will leave a percentage of these territories in our hands, but will have to give the Palestinians a similar percentage, because without that there will be no peace."

On Syria, Olmert said his government began secret talks in February 2007 and that he believed Israel would have to give up the Golan Heights in return for Damascus ending its close relationship with Iran, Hizbullah and Hamas.