Israelis dockers strike over legal changes

A new bill before Parliament would allow Israel Ports-Development & Assets (IP-D&S) to effectively become involved in port operations, while at the same time managing existing assets.

Should such an agreement become law then existing legislation governing contracts with port employees would effectively be bypassed and IP-D&S would be able to bring in non-unionised labour to work on the docks.

Unions view this as a violation of the collective labour agreement signed between trade unions and the government to bring forward port reform, since previously IP-D&S’s role was limited to that as asset manager.