Dear traffic jam: This is how the Histadrut's demonstration of power in the ports hits our pockets

A discussion in the Economics Committee sheds some light on another factor in the cost of living - the disruptions in the unloading of ships that also lead to delays in the supply chain.

This is because the Histadrut is protesting against the opening of ports over which it will have no control, and has conditioned the acceleration of work on receiving another platform.

Kara: "You are like an enemy"

Between Ashkenazi

21/02/2022

Monday, 21 February 2022, 16:16 Updated: 17:03

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In the video: Get to know the new Gulf port in Haifa (Editing: Gilad Manheim, Directing: Shir Shinkman)

For a little over two hours, Knesset members from the various House factions sat in a discussion in the Economics Committee chaired by the alternate chairman, MK Ron Katz.

His title was the Histadrut's takeover of seaports, leading to a worsening of the cost of living and heavy disruptions in the supply chain.

The purpose of the discussion was to try to examine why there are delays in unloading goods at seaports - something that leads to rising prices and heaviness on the pockets of all of us, whose money is running out anyway.

The main dispute between Knesset members, the Histadrut, and the director general of the Ashdod Port concerned the question of whether the Histadrut would agree not to shut down the port if additional docks were opened in the ports for unloading goods. The extent to which our elected officials are able to solve difficult problems.

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To the full article

"Want to find a solution to this cork."

Cargo ship against the backdrop of Haifa Port (Photo: Official Website, Geodrons)

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The discussion began with an exchange of blows between the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Abir Kara, and Avi Edri, head of the Transportation Workers Union of the New General Workers' Union. The immunity. "

Yitzhak Blumenthal, CEO of the Israel Ports Company, was more matter-of-fact, explaining the problem.

Unload at 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and at noon and the rest of the time she stands on the platform and is not unloaded.

There are ships that stand for whole days and could have gone out in shorter periods of time.

Once an action that should take a minute takes five minutes - the queue lengthens, which is what we see.

We are before Pesach and Purim, and ships will soon arrive to bring products for the holidays and Independence Day.

If we do not address the problem now, we will find ourselves in a difficult problem ahead of Passover and a shortage of products. "

"Check what the agreements say."

Edri (Photo: Knesset Spokeswoman, Knesset Spokeswoman, Danny Shem Tov)

Attacked the Histadrut.

Kara (Photo: Reuven Castro)

The elephant in the room

Towards the end of the meeting, the real problems finally began to float, when the CEO of the Ashdod Port, Shiko Zana, said that "there are traffic jams and the ports' responsibility to take care of them.

We do not shake, we work 24 hours and six days a week to reduce the queue.

From the beginning of the corona we managed to partially shorten it, and there is still an operational queue. "

Then Zana got to the point:" One has to ask why the new ports did not open, I would be happy if we get an answer. Will you oppose the operation of docks (privately without the workers being unionized under the Histadrut, BA) in Ashdod and Haifa. Yes or no? "He asked.

Edri is no longer obligated: "No yes or no, I do not work for you. Check what the agreements say. The state should move the Carmel B wharf to the port of Haifa - when they make the agreement there is no problem."

Kara replied, "It's the elephant in the room, it's the problem."

Kara is absolutely accurate, and Edri's answer only illustrates the point.

The Histadrut is not ready for the state to open the new docks in the ports of Ashdod and Haifa that will be operated by private companies without the "compensation" that the Histadrut will receive - the operation of the Carmel B port wharf in Haifa, which is not yet built. " "We are accepting the Carmel B port for operation," said Edri.

The Histadrut insists on compensation due to the opening of the independent ports.

Freight trucks at the port of Haifa (Photo: ShutterStock)

MK Ron Katz tried to intervene. "We want to find a solution to this cork," he said. "Therefore, when asking a simple question, do not go to agreements.

We know them.

You can say that you will mobilize to solve the problem. "However, Edri continued to fortify himself." I will mobilize while honoring the agreement that says that Carmel B. is moving to the port of Haifa.

Not to weaken the existing ports. "

MK Bezalel Smutrich responded.

"It will take years to build Carmel B. Will we wait until it is built?"

Edri replied: "There is an agreement."

Smutrich replied: "Do not play with us. The agreement did not anticipate such a situation, a reality as of now."

Edri said: "I do not know what this means, there is an agreement. Make a commitment that you do not harm the financial strength of the port of Haifa. You want to trample on agreements that we have been working on for 10 years."

Chairman Katz concluded the meeting with several requests. "We will not rest until a solution is found.

The committee believes that there is a direct effect of the congestion in Israeli ports on the cost of living, and therefore it requires a quick and determined response from the Minister of Transport, the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Economy.

The Committee calls on the Minister of Transportation and Road Safety and the Minister of Finance to increase the letter of certification and allow the Israel Shipyards Company to unload a wider scope of general cargo ships.

The Committee calls on the Minister of Transportation and Road Safety and the Israel Ports Company to authorize the Northern Port to operate docks 7 and 8 for the unloading of general cargo ships;

The Minister of Transportation and Road Safety and the Histadrut to reach an agreement as soon as possible that will increase the number of temporary workers at the ports of Ashdod and Haifa;

And from the Ministry of Transportation to inform her in writing within a month what steps it has taken and what steps it intends to take to reduce the operational queue at Israeli ports.

After receiving the report from the Minister of Transportation, the committee will hold a follow-up meeting with its participation. "

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Tags

• Israeli ports

• The Histadrut

• Knesset

• Cost of living