Israeli Port workers strike as government plans reform : Unions debate.

[Odin]

And I thought the US government was full of corporate pork...

[St Leo]

Solidarity Forever
(Tune: John Brown's Body) (by Ralph Chaplin, January 1915)(9th edition, 1916)

When the Union's inspiration through the workers' blood shall run,
There can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun.
Yet what force on earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one?
But the Union makes us strong.

Solidarity forever!
Solidarity forever!
Solidarity forever!
For the Union makes us strong.

Is there aught we hold in common with the greedy parasite
Who would lash us into serfdom and would crush us with his might?
Is there anything left to us but to organize and fight?
For the Union makes us strong.
[chorus]

It is we who plowed the prairies; built the cities where they trade;
Dug the mines and built the workshops; endless miles of railroad laid.
Now we stand outcast and starving, 'midst the wonders we have made;
But the Union makes us strong.
[chorus]

All the world that's owned by idle drones is ours and ours alone.
We have laid the wide foundations; built it skyward stone by stone.
It is ours, not to slave in, but to master and to own,
While the Union makes us strong.

[chorus]

They have taken untold millions that they never toiled to earn,
But without our brain and muscle not a single wheel can turn.
We can break their haughty power; gain our freedom when we learn
That the Union makes us strong.
[chorus]

In our hands is placed a power greater than their hoarded gold;
Greater than the might of armies, magnified a thousand-fold.
We can bring to birth a new world from the ashes of the old.
For the Union makes us strong.
[chorus]

Heh. Silly commies.

[Az]

Which is quite likely, but I dislike the thought that one union can bring a halt to the import/export business of an entire country.
Especially when they show themselves willing to strike at the drop of a hat.

Yeah, I know what you mean.

These guys would get a lot more sympathy if they weren't carrying out completely unrelated annoyance actions. I did find it rather amusing that some of the strikers were actually doing more work during the strike than before it (example, the customs guys at the airport, who were searching every single bag during the strike, or the guys going around turning off traffic lights).

True that, as well.

That may be what that article says, but I saw a number that claimed otherwise.

In this case, this is very much true.

Okay, this comment was very entertaining. Considering they work for the Israeli government, and it is quite common to see Israeli government employees walking around with automatic weaopns, this is the best laugh I've had all day.

automatic weapons?

In any case, the Labor court has ordered to freeze the legislation for 4 weeks, and ordered the workers to go to work.