Striking Pelephone workers blockade repair center

Some 200 striking workers from mobile provider Pelephone blocked its logistical center in Airport City Wednesday morning, preventing the division from fixing telephone handsets and sending new merchandise to centers around the country.

The company’s computer software programmers joined their striking coworkers from the customer service, engineering and IT divisions on the 26th day of the strike over a labor dispute, according to the Histadrut labor federation.

The dispute comes over Pelephone’s refusal to recognize the unionization efforts of its workers, who it says failed to obtain the legally required participation of one-third of the company.

Striking workers also disrupted customers’ abilities to call abroad, Army Radio reported Wednesday.

“This is a first step,” Itamar Avitan, a representative from the workers committee, told Army Radio. “The workers will escalate the steps each day and will add additional organizational measures as needed.” Upset customers, he said, “should refer to the company’s management, which preventing the workers from unionizing.”

The workers committee was expected to meet Wednesday night to consider its next move.