Workers at the Dimona train station went on strike Thursday (May 29th) to protest the firing of a veteran comrade.
This employee was the first of some 15 expected to be forced into early retirement this year at the Dimona station as part of an agreement between Histadrut and Israel Rail. The employees stopped work as soon as they heard of their comrade's dismissal. They claim that representatives from the national union's management have called them and told them that they will be fired, as well, if they expose their horrendous working conditions, consisting of 16-17 hours a day without proper compensation and a variety of other, unspecified safety violations.
As of Sunday (July 1st), workers were still blockading the station, denying passage to passenger and freight trains. A solidarity meeting was held that day, consisting of many sympathetic Dimona residents as well as union representatives from factories in the area.
A website covering the Dimona area (Hebrew) is following developments on the ground.
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