Negotiations between the Histadrut labor federation and the Finance Ministry ended with no progress Friday afternoon in continued efforts to bring an end to the general strike continued through its third day.

Negotiations between the labor federation’s chairman Ofer Eini and Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz also broke down late Thursday night. National Labor Court President Nili Arad on Thursday had ordered the two sides to report to her at 3 p.m. Friday on the status of the talks. In ruling that the strike could continue Friday, Judge Arad ordered that Ben Gurion Airport and all the country’s ports would operate as normal.

“On Strike”, the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange

The Histadrut’s general strike over the employment status of contract workers continue into its third day on Friday. According to a compromise reached on Thursday, a few thousand out of 300,000 contract workers indirectly employed by the government will become full state employees, which will significantly improve their salaries and social benefits. In parallel, the number of inspectors that are meant to oversee the conditions of employment of the contract workers will increase by one hundred. The strike, called by the Histradrut, paralyzed Israel’s public sector on Wednesday and Thursday, with transportation, banks and various government offices not available.

Related:

               Israel: General strike and demonstrations in Tel-Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa 

                General strike in Israel enters second day