Strikers bring Israel to standstill

ISRAEL WAS largely crippled yesterday by a strike of public- sector workers demanding a wage rise matching the rate of inflation.

The walkout by 400,000 workers closed seaports and post offices, religious councils and kindergartens.

Several radio and television channels went off the air and flights were delayed or cancelled at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv.

The state telephone company, ambulances and electrical workers are operating what is known as a "Sabbath schedule". Experience last week shows this means the country's tele-communications face rapid paralysis because no repairs are being done.

The strike call by the Histadrut labour federation is part of a campaign to win an 8.1 per cent wage increase, in line with the inflation rate. The treasury is offering just 3.81 per cent.

The timing of the strike has much to do with Israel's upcoming election on 17 May. The strikers sense this is a good moment to emphasise their grievances and try to strike a deal with the government.

They say they are losing out in the dispersal of pre-election gifts to many sectors, fromJewish immigrants from Russia to the ultra orthodox.

Amir Peretz, the Histadrut chairman, said: "After the government gave away millions to various special interest groups, they're trying to regain their credibility on the backs of the workers."

Mr Peretz made a sharp attack on Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli leader, saying: "The Prime Minister has put himself on the side of the country's rich and is ignoring the plight of the workers whose wages have been eroded."

The government is saying Mr Peretz is making unreasonable demands for political motives. He has founded his own party to represent workers' interests and he intends to contest the election for the Israeli parliament.

There is no doubt wage disparities have increased in Israel in the Nineties. None of the main political parties represents the interests of wage earners, being mainly concerned with meeting the needs of the religious or ethnic groups that support them.

Unless negotiations succeed the strike will continue up to the Passover holiday next week, when the country comes to its usual halt.

What is unclear is how the strike will affect the general election, but a poll in yesterday's edition of the daily newspaper Ma'Ariv shows 61 per cent of Israelis believe the strike was initiated for political reasons, and only 25 per cent believe Mr Peretz is leading the strike to benefit the workers.

Sima Kadmon, an Israeli commentator, said Mr Peretz's "biggest problem is that even if he is conducting an innocent and just battle for the workers' sake there isn't a single person around who believes that he is battling for them and not for himself".