Bibi (Israeli Finance Minister Netanyahu) interrupted at Economic Forum by activists

Dec. 8, 2003
Bibi interrupted at Economic Forum by activists
By JPOST.COM STAFF

Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, addressing the closing session of the 2003 Economic Forum, was interrupted social activists who accused him of destroying Israeli society, Monday.

Netanyahu told audience members that although his economic program was a painful one, it was the only way of returning the economy to growth. He called upon Bank of Israel governor David Klein to continue lowering interest rates, in order to help the business sector - on one hand - and overdrawn lower classes - on the other.

Histadrut Chairman Amir Peretz told the forum that he would not be a partner to economic moves that promote social polarity. He called upon forum members to increase their involvement in the current labor sanctions, and suggested TEVA CEO Eli Horowitz arbitrate the ongoing disagreements between the Histadrut and the Ministry of Finance.

PM Ariel Sharon, concluding the evening, said that he supports all of Benyamin Netanyahu's difficult steps regarding the economy. "As soon as we somehow manage to gain some form of political breathing space, I will make it my top priority to stabilize the economy and shift it towards growth."

Earlier, a meeting between civil servants union head Ofer Eini and civil service commissioner Shmuel Hollander ended without any results. The two will meet again within the next few days in order to end civil servant labor sanctions.

Peretz promised that the Histadrut would end all sanctions and strikes for the period of such arbitration if the finance ministry would freeze legislation activities.

On Saturday night, Amir called upon Finance Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to act alongside him in order to bring an end to the ongoing strikes, Army Radio reported.

The two met face-to-face in Jerusalem to solve disputes on pension fund reforms, while negotiating teams are trying to bring an end to labor sanctions.

Sunday noon saw 9,000 civil servants demonstrating outside the Ministry of Finance against dismissals and pay cuts. Peretz addressed the crowd saying the Treasury was trying to divide and conquer various unions by promising pay raises in return for an end to strikes.

"Your union heads are under tremendous pressure," he said. "This sometimes includes attempts at bribery."

Meanwhile, labor sanctions continue for civil servants, airport customs workers and religious regional council employees, who went on strike Sunday for withheld salaries.

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The pervading labor unions were dictating terms to the Israeli Goverment, saying that despite the lack of funds, wages must raise, and benifits increase. Most Goverment workers are incredibly incompetent, it takes two hours to pick up a package and pay the import tax from the post office for example.

The labor unions control all goverment offices and whenever anybody threatens to tighten the requriements on workers, they make country wide strikes. They have it so good, that when you get hired, you can refuse to do your job, but not get fired until the year term of your contract is up. You get a months pay for every year you work as a unimployment insurance, paid lunches etc...

Bibi has begun to break up and privatize the government sectors. He has taken the Port Authority which was controled by the Government Union and broken it into three districts, one for each major port. The Union called a strike on the Airports and Ports halting all shipping Nation wide. This wiped out the economy in the past, the Nation has to capitulate.

Bibi however saw that a private port with one dock got certified to offload in one day. That single dock was then able to handle the shipping that it took three ports to accomplish with government workers.

The Unions are furious, but their days of dictatorship are numbered...

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