Trucks and taxis plan to stop up central Israel this afternoon, blocking main highways to and from Tel Aviv in protest of the high price of fuel. They say the government has imposed too-high taxes on diesel (solar) fuel.
The truck and taxi drivers have received police permission to block off one lane on the busy Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv, from 3:30 to 7:00 PM.
The drivers call upon the public to join them, saying, "This is a consumers' struggle. We will lower the price of solar fuel, or we'll lower [topple] the government!"
The above call is likely designed as an attempt to ward off the expected public anger that will develop during the strike, as a result of the tremendous traffic jams that will be caused. Affected highways include not only Ayalon, but also the Ashdod-Tel Aviv and Haifa-Tel Aviv routes. Hundreds of trucks and taxis are expected to take part in the protest.
Gabi Ben-Harush, Chairman of the Transporters Council, said, "Solar costs 3.7 shekels per liter at the oil refineries, so why do we have to pay nearly 6 shekels at the gas stations?"
Speaking on Army Radio, Ben-Harush also railed out at other taxes, and said, "Every month, the government sticks its hand into the drivers' pockets and removes some 3,500 shekels. This is a national struggle, and I call on everyone to join us."
Nationwide Strike Threatened
Meanwhile, the Histadrut Labor Union has not removed its threat to strike the entire nation, beginning July 1, if the Finance Minister does not withdraw some of its new tax reform proposals. Specifically, the Histadrut says the new plan to impose a tax on common pension fund payments is a form of "stealing."
"The workers and the government agreed in the past," said Histadrut Labor Union chief Ofer Eini this morning, "that part of the workers' payment would come in the form of untaxed fund payments. Now the government has unilaterally decided to take away this benefit, and we refuse to accept it."
Top financial officials are also against the new tax, which was announced at a press conference last by Finance Minister Roni Bar-On. Analysts assume that Bar-On will seek a way to climb down from the tall tree on
Other Labor Disputes: Social Workers, Post Offices, and More
The government-paid social workers are continuing their slowdown, refusing to provide services to youth at risk, the elderly and new cases. They say they will totally close down welfare offices beginning this Sunday if the government does not respond to their demands for more social workers to help relieve their heavy caseloads.
Similarly, postal workers are continuing their slowdown for a second week, continuing not to provide services to outlying communities other than Sderot and nearby areas. Packages are also not being delivered, and other services have been stopped as well. The employees say the Finance Ministry refuses to finalize an agreement with them regarding their pensions and other issues.
The employees of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange pushed off the beginning of trading until 12:30 PM today, in protest of what they call the "stalling" of the negotiations with them. National Insurance Institute offices will be closed across the country, excluding Sderot and Ashkelon, in protest of what the employees call a "grave shortage of employees."