Shippers claim port workers are in contempt of court

The National Labor Court ordered the port workers to get back to work and avoid any sanctions until September 21. Despite the Court’s decision sanctions at the ports continued
 
The Federation of Chambers of Commerce and the Manufacturers Association of Israel were set to launch a lawsuit against port workers, claiming that the unions representing port workers are in contempt of court. 
 
Earlier this month, the National Labor Court ordered the port workers to get back to work and avoid any sanctions until September 21. 
 
The National Labor Court also ordered the Ministry of Finance to suspend from the 2009 economics arrangement bill the item for the transfer of the ports operations to the Israel Ports Development & Assets Company Ltd. until a hearing on September 21.
 
The first meeting, following the court order, to settle the dispute at the ports which was held last week ended without any results and the Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel) blamed the Ministry of Finance for the failure. Participants were representatives from the Ministries of Finance and Transport, the Histadrut and the ports' workers committees. 
 
However, despite the National Labor Court decision, sanctions at the ports continued, and importers argue that they were suffering substantial financial damage.
 
Gad Schaefer, chairman of the Israeli Shipper's Council, said that based on information the council had received, the ports were working at 50% to 75% capacity. Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. announced it would not unload at Israeli ports because of the delays and instead would shuttle containers from Italian and Turkish ports, a move that will add several hundreds of dollars in shipping fees. However, a special emergency congestion charge has been suspended for at least two weeks.
 
The Israeli shipper's council was also considering last week to submit a claim to the government for the compensation of the trading community for the heavy losses incurred by importers and exporters due to the go slow at the ports.