In order to protest an anticipated layoff of close to one-third of its members, the Israeli union of customs and VAT (Value Added Tax) workers is slowing down its service to travelers entering Israel.
Avi Ederi, head of the union, told The Media Line that people arriving at Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport are waiting 30-40 minutes for their luggage to be inspected at customs instead of the average one minute.
The union is opposing a government cutback, planned for December, which will cut 500 jobs in that sector, Ederi said. He added that 200 technical support employees of Ben Gurion International Airport, who work closely with customs and VAT workers, would also lose their jobs in the proposed cuts.
However, a source at Israel’s Department of Customs and VAT said that no layoffs have been announced yet. The government has only approved a merger of the Customs and VAT Department with the Internal Revenue Department, both divisions of the Finance Ministry, she said.
It has not been announced how the merger will be executed or how many people will lose their jobs, if any, the source added. “The strike came a little bit too soon.”
The customs and VAT union’s protest coincides with a general strike of all of Israel’s government employees.