Israel Matzav

Justice in Jerusalem

The heads of the Israel Electric Corporation engineering department, who were responsible for some 200 IEC engineers spending the weekend in Eilat while power went out to thousands of people in and around Jerusalem, are being fired.

"We informed the heads of the engineering committee of our intention to fire them from their positions in the company," [IEC Chairman Yiftach] Ron-Tal said.

Ron-Tal was addressing members of the Knesset Economic Affairs Committee meeting, in order to provide a preliminary report of the IEC operations that took place throughout the weekend's storm.  In addition to highlighting these activities, the IEC chairman stressed that although the actions of the Eilat visitors would not be taken lightly, their behaviors were not representative of the entire company.

"Let's not take a group of law- and order-breakers and consider them the norm," Ron-Tal said.

I know a lot of Israeli readers will have the same reaction that I had: This action will soon be undone due to protests from their union (one of the most powerful in the country) and the Histadrut General Labor Federation (think the AFL-CIO, the Teamsters and the Mob all rolled into one). Well, maybe not.

The chairman of the IEC's workers committee, Miko Tzarfati, slammed the behavior of these employees in comparison to that of the 12,900 workers "who already for several days have not slept and are battling for electricity."

"I have no doubt that significant discipline of the management is necessary, and that this will be handled very seriously," Tzarfati said.

Glad to see that both management and the workers' committee are showing civic responsibility. Maybe the next time, the IEC's engineers will do the same. 

Labels: Israel Electric Corporation, Jerusalem, snow

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:44 PM