Train strike ends, as union leaders fined for contempt of court

The Israel Railways workers union agreed to end a day-long strike Tuesday evening, after the Labor Court issued an injunction ordering it to do so. Service was scheduled to gradually resume and return to full operation by Wednesday morning.

In an eventful gathering at the Tel Aviv Labor Court, Judge Efrat Lesker ejected union head Gila Edrei from the room, after Edrei shouted at railway management representatives, saying it was her showtime. Some of the union members arrived late to the discussion, saying they had to take buses from the northern part of the country — causing Judge Lesker to respond that it was their own fault there were no trains.

Even though the court injunction was given in the early afternoon, workers had not resumed work at 5 p.m., when union and management met in the court, leading to Edrei being asked by the judge why she should not be fined for contempt of the court.

Subsequently Lesker fined three of the union leaders 10,000 shekels each, plus costs, for contempt of court.

The train strike started at midnight Monday, and was met with much public bitterness, as it started less than two days after a nationwide strike ended. According to a Ynet News report, the railroad management estimates that the strike cost the railway four million shekels per day in lost revenue.

Workers were protesting over management’s desire to outsource some of the company’s maintenance services to external contractors.

Tuesday was the tenth day the train workers went on strike in the past six months. According to a Channel 2 news report, passenger use dropped by five percent over 2011.