Jerusalem, Nov 03: A nationwide strike began in Israel at dawn today, shutting down government services, banks, the international airport and trains but was slated to be held for only four hours following a labour court ruling. The court decision headed off what was supposed to be one of the widest strikes in the nation's history, announced by the main labor union as retaliation for Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's attempts to enact sweeping reforms. The strike began at 6 am local time (0400 GMT) today and was slated to end four hours later. The court ordered negotiations between the Union and government and would hear the sides in another session Thursday evening.

"The strike has begun today," Haim Tzveik, who oversees organisation at the labor union, the Histadrut, told Israel radio.

Airlines moved up times of flights at Ben Gurion International Airport in an effort to avoid the shutdown, forcing the constant taking off and landing of airplanes overnight, Israel radio reported. By the time the strike began, the airport was completely empty but was slated to resume activity with the end of the strike, the radio said. The unrest reflected a government assault on Israel's venerable welfare state, which for decades has shielded workers from the uncertainties of a free market economy, while keeping public sector employment high.

Bureau Report