The Histadrut labor federation's coordination and implementation committee declared a labor dispute Thursday morning over individual contracts at local authorities and government and civil service offices.A labor dispute opens up the possibility of organized protests and strikes after 14 days.The Histadrut says it is calling the dispute to protest Finance Ministry foot-dragging on negotiations over individual contracts that Histadrut chairman Ofer Eini and Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz agreed to in a February 2012 deal.The NIS 800 million deal, which ended a general strike over contract workers that shut down government offices and banks, and hindered the operation of public transportation and trash collection, included a provision to continue intensive negotiations on the issue of individually contracted workers within a year.
(photo credit: The Jerusalem Post)