According to sources at the Israel Ports Authority, the ports workers union had concluded a round of talks with the Finance Ministry in which it was agreed that the Ports Authority would offer 27% of all workers at the state-owned ports - about 630 employees - to accept early retirement.
The sources said that the level of compensation for port workers that do agree to leave, will be no less than 150% of the legal redundancy pay (of one month's salary for each year of employment).The workers' representatives do not accept the offer and are demanding no less than 250% redundancy pay.
David Peretz, head of the Haifa Port workers committee said last week that "At the moment, only a few dozen workers are prepared to leave their jobs, and most of them are veterans of 50 years old or more." He added that should "the offer from the state and the Ports Authority was improved, then more workers would be willing to leave".
About the talks Peretz added that although the talks are conducted in a good atmosphere he did not think that " the reforms, in which the ports become government companies, will take place by February 17th.
Sources at the finance ministry replied, however, that the new Ports Law, which covers the reforms, will go into effect, as planned, on February 17th 2005.
