- Title: JERUSALEM/ISRAEL: PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS STRIKE IN PROTEST AGAINST BUDGET CUTS
- Date: 17th July 1996
- Summary: JERUSALEM/ LOD, ISRAEL (JULY 17, 1996) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) JERUSALEM 1. CU EXTERIOR OF ISRAEL DISCOUNT BANK 0.08 2. SV MAN ARRIVING AT BANK, FINDING DOORS SHUT 0.31 3. SV PEOPLE PASSING NEAR CLOSED POST OFFICE 0.45 LOD, ISRAEL 4. LV/SV OF LOD AIRPORT LOUNGES (6 SHOTS) 1.22 JERUSALEM 5. MCU ISRAELI SIVAN OFIR SAYING THAT SOMEONE IN THE GOVERNMENT WILL UNDERSTAND ITS A VERY BAD SITUATION IN ISRAEL NOW (ENGLISH) 1.32 6. SLV/SV MAN FINDS THE BANK'S DOOR SHUT (2 SHOTS) 1.39 7. MCU ASHER BATZRI SAYING THE WORKERS DEMONSTRATION IS A LEGITIMATE ONE AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT "NO POLICY" IN THE ECONOMY (ENGLISH) 1.52 8. LV HUNDREDS OF WORKERS RALLYING IN FRONT OF THE ISRAELI PARLIAMENT (KNESSET) 1.59 9. PAN WORKERS HOLDING PLACARDS AGAINST GOVERNMENT POLICY AND SHOUTING "STOP HURTING OUR CHILDREN", "IT'S A COUNTRY FOR THE RICH" (HEBREW) 2.08 10. MCU WOMEN WORKERS WITH WHISTLES 2.09 11. LV/SV WORKERS WITH PLACARDS SHOUTING (3 SHOTS) 2.22 12. MCU UNIDENTIFIED HISTADRUT SPOKESPERSON SAYING THAT THE NEW GOVERNMENT MUST KNOW THAT THE NEW ECONOMIC PROGRAMME SHOULD NOT FALL ON PEOPLE THAT CAN NOT BEAR THE BURDEN OF PAYING (ENGLISH) 2.43 13. SV PEOPLE WITH PLACKARDS 2.47 14. SV WORKER SHOUTING AT POLICEMEN AND BEATING HIMSELF 3.17 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 1st August 1996 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: JERUSALEM/ LOD, ISRAEL
- City:
- Country: Israel
- Reuters ID: LVAC2BPYL1KIRF4KNZCS33IWYA2D
- Story Text: INTRO: Hundreds of thousands of Israeli public sector workers held a 10-hour strike on Wednesday to protest against budget cuts by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new government.
------------------------------------------------------------------ The one day general strike on Wednesday (July 17) started at 6 a.m.
(0300 GMT) and was due to finish at 4 p.m. (1300 GMT), affecting banks, airports, rail and port services, hospitals and many state controlled companies such as the telephone and electric services.
Israeli financial markets stayed closed on Wednesday due to the strike. Israeli radio stations said they would halt broadcasts for two hours.
"It's about time the government of Israel realise we're not the country's piggy bank. Every time their coffers are low they come to the workers and take money without asking permission," said Ilana Cohen, head of the nurses' union.
Critics of Netanyahu's new governemnet say the budget cuts target the poor.
Israel's Histadrut federation of labour unions called the strike over the government's decision to cut 3.2 percent (excluding debt servicing) from the 1997 budget.
The Hisatadrut represents over one million workers and is controlled by the opposition Labour party. Earlier in July the labour federation organised a one-hour general strike to protest against plans to privatise government-owned companies.
Officials at the Bank of Israel said there would be no foreign currency trading on Wednesday due to the strike.
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