JERUSALEM, April 21 (Reuters) – Workers at Israel’s three
main airlines began an open-ended strike on Sunday in protest at
the government’s plans to ratify an open skies deal with Europe
they see as a threat to their jobs.
Supporters of the open skies deal say its relaxation of
restrictions and quotas on flights between Israel and European
Union countries would increase competition, lower prices and
boost Israel’s tourism industry.
But Ofer Eini, the head of Israel’s Histadrut labour union,
said the agreement could leave Israel’s airlines struggling to
compete with their European counterparts and cost about 17,000
jobs.
“The way in which (this deal) is being implemented will on
the one hand bring a reduction in airfares but it will also
cause Israeli companies to collapse,” he told Israel Radio.
Workers at El Al, Arkia and Israir stopped work at
5 a.m. (0200 GMT) but the carriers brought forward most
departures so that outgoing passengers could leave Israel.
Incoming flights and foreign airlines were not affected.
Eini called on the cabinet, which was expected to ratify the
agreement later on Sunday, to delay its vote by a month in order
to allow further discussion on adapting the plan to ensure the
airlines could continue to compete.
“We are asking for a delay of a month to ensure that (the
airlines will not collapse), nothing will happen if we wait
another month” he added.
Transport Minister Yisrael Katz said the cabinet would
approve the agreement and that it could not be changed because
its European signatories had already signed it and he urged the
unions to call off the strike.
“The government will ratify the deal today … the open
skies agreement is the only way for El Al to economise at long
last and to change its approach so that it can compete in the
tough world market,” he told Israel Radio.
Katz, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s
right-wing Likud party, has said the deal contained risks as
well as benefits and airlines should “exploit the opportunity to
compete more vigorously with European airlines”.
(Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
