Finance Minister Ehud Olmert said last week that an agreement to turn the Israel Postal Authority into a government company had been reached.
The agreement, according to the minister, was part of steps taken by the government to open, for the first time, the Israeli postal market to competition, beginning January 31st , 2006.
Olmert added that the treasury had led several reforms in recent years for increasing competition in the Israeli market in order to widen the variety of services offered to public thus improving quality of services and lowering prices.
According to a Postal Authority official the treasury and Postal Authority officials are scheduled this week to finalize the agreement.
The official added that the agreement covers various important clauses concerning the increase of workers efficiency, bonuses, pay rises and pension arrangements.
The agreement was reached by Yaakov Edri Postal Authority chairman, Avi Hochman, Postal Authority general manager, Kobi Haber treasury wages director, Ofer Eini, head of the Civil Servants Union in the Histadrut – general workers union and Reuven Karazi, the head of the Postal Authority workers' union.
