[:en]On April 21 the Israeli government voted to open Israeli skies to international air traffic, following an agreement with the European Union. This drastic step will bring about the dismissal of thousands of workers. It will open aviation to Israel to companies defined as Low Cost Companies (LCC). These companies, which are under no governmental control, reduce the prices of flights by cutting expenditure on flight safety and in particular by impoverishing employees: it ends in reducing salaries and transferring work to outsourcing firms, thereby eliminating, or significantly reducing, workers’ wages and social benefits.
The opening of the world aviation market to “low cost companies” has already brought about the collapse of the world’s veteran airlines. It has led to the dismissal of tens of thousands and could engender the collapse of El Al. An indirect consequence will be the transfer of airport work to subcontractors.
The government chose the promise of cheap flights in order to confuse the public. Lower prices, free competition and the elimination of monopolies are slogans the Israeli public likes. However, what we have here is far from the rosy picture that PM Netanyahu and Finance Minister Yair Lapid have promised. This measure is only the start. In the coming months, the government is planning to adopt a budget that will cut social allowances and services, raise taxes on labor, and deepen poverty. Since 2003, when the Netanyahu-Lapid (Senior) duo managed the economy, prices in Israel have only gone up and the cost of living has become insupportable. Now Netanyahu continues the same policies with the help of Lapid Junior.
Protecting organized labor does not mean protecting corrupt monopolies, but rather securing a wage level that enables workers to live above the poverty line and afford vacations abroad, i.e. to use the services of airlines.
The international economic crisis was not caused by higher wages for employees, rather by gloves-off management in a piggish, capitalist economy, where governments subordinated economic interests to those of tycoons. The Open Skies decision will intensify this destructive policy. Anyone who supports a decent life for workers must vigorously oppose it.[:de]
On April 21 the Israeli government voted to open Israeli skies to international air traffic, following an agreement with the European Union. This drastic step will bring about the dismissal of thousands of workers. It will open aviation to Israel to companies defined as Low Cost Companies (LCC). These companies, which are under no governmental control, reduce the prices of flights by cutting expenditure on flight safety and in particular by impoverishing employees: it ends in reducing salaries and transferring work to outsourcing firms, thereby eliminating, or significantly reducing, workers’ wages and social benefits.
The opening of the world aviation market to “low cost companies” has already brought about the collapse of the world’s veteran airlines. It has led to the dismissal of tens of thousands and could engender the collapse of El Al. An indirect consequence will be the transfer of airport work to subcontractors.
The government chose the promise of cheap flights in order to confuse the public. Lower prices, free competition and the elimination of monopolies are slogans the Israeli public likes. However, what we have here is far from the rosy picture that PM Netanyahu and Finance Minister Yair Lapid have promised. This measure is only the start. In the coming months, the government is planning to adopt a budget that will cut social allowances and services, raise taxes on labor, and deepen poverty. Since 2003, when the Netanyahu-Lapid (Senior) duo managed the economy, prices in Israel have only gone up and the cost of living has become insupportable. Now Netanyahu continues the same policies with the help of Lapid Junior.
Protecting organized labor does not mean protecting corrupt monopolies, but rather securing a wage level that enables workers to live above the poverty line and afford vacations abroad, i.e. to use the services of airlines.
The international economic crisis was not caused by higher wages for employees, rather by gloves-off management in a piggish, capitalist economy, where governments subordinated economic interests to those of tycoons. The Open Skies decision will intensify this destructive policy. Anyone who supports a decent life for workers must vigorously oppose it.[:]
