Israeli power company workers call surprise strike

The Israel Electric Corporation’s workers’ union announced Tuesday afternoon it will begin an open-ended strike effective immediately, cutting operations to a minimized weekend footing.

Miko Tzarfati, chairman of the IEC workers’ union, said the strike had been called over concern that crowding in the energy market could lead to the firing of hundreds of workers.

He announced the strike during a discussion by the Knesset’s Finance Committee, chaired by Labor MK Avishai Braverman.

“The time has come for decision makers to realize what might happen if the IEC is not here tomorrow,” Tzarfati said.

“The implications of firing hundreds of employees are disastrous. Who will see that electricity keeps flowing to the State of Israel?”

The strike comes in response to a collapse in negotiations on reform at the IEC that was legislated more than a decade ago and not implemented since.

“The continued existence of the IEC is at the edge of a precipice and the worker’s union is not going to be the responsible adult when all warning lights have been flashing for a long time,” Tzarfati said in the committee meeting.

“In its current condition, the company cannot give the public the service it deserves.” “Power plants are given to tycoons and to [foreign] actors which steal the IEC’s income and bring it to collapse. This all comes at the expense of the public,” he said.