Commenting on Monday's National Labor Court decision ordering the government to freeze the tenders for the construction of two new ports and negotiate with the Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel), Minister of Transport Yisrael Katz wrote on his Facebook page, "If Alon Hassan and Turgeman want to see the new ports up close, they should buy binoculars, because there is no other way that they will get close to them."
Alon Hasson is the workers committee chairman at Ashdod Port Company Ltd., and Meir Turgeman is the workers committee chairman at Haifa Port Company Ltd.
"We respect the Labor Court, which has delayed the construction of the new ports by a month, but we will not change our view, and we will appeal against the decision. We will not build new ports in order for Hassan and Turgeman to take control of them. We will not pay them billions in bribes for their consent, as was done in the past without receiving anything in exchange and without results," added Katz.
"We will continue the reform which I have led for the past four years, and which was finally drawn up jointly with the prime minister and finance minister. We will explain this to the court and the public, and if necessary, we will promote suitable legislation. This time, there will be real reform. A government has to govern."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 31, 2013
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2013