Strike at Ben Gurion Airport ends

Baggage handlers stop work; airport reps say no flights were delayed.

By DAN IZENBERG, JPOST STAFF
el al plane 298.88 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski [file])
el al plane 298.88
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski [file])
The strike at Ben-Gurion International Airport ended almost as quickly as it began on Thursday afternoon. The union cut back the number of workers, and starting at 2 p.m. baggage handlers stopped loading and unloading luggage. Airport representatives said that the slowdown did not cause any flight delays, and that work was "on schedule." However, they noted that had the strike continued, delays would have been inevitable. Employees claimed that the Airports Authority has not honored its agreements with them, and are also demanding better conditions. In December, the chairman of the board of directors of the Airports Authority denied charges by the state comptroller that the level of nepotism in the authority had almost doubled over the past six years. According to authority figures from last week, 390 of the 1,292 permanent workers (30%) currently employed are related to other workers, while 134 of the 441 temporary workers not involved in security (30.38%) have relatives in the authority.