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Under the deal, the government will freeze moves towards reforming the country's three ports and workers will refrain from any strikes as the sides attempt to resolve a dispute over port workers' pension and employment benefits. Finance Ministry officials, however, insisted plans to privatise ports in Haifa, Ashdod and Eilat would go ahead within seven months under a law passed last month. Workers fear job losses as well as cuts to salaries and pension payouts. Under the plan, private companies will operate each port as part of a sweeping programme of free-market reforms. "Nothing is going to change with regards to the law (on port reform)," a Finance Ministry spokesman said. The 22 days of stoppages at the country's ports have cost the Israeli economy, which relies heavily on international trade, about 4.8 billion shekels ($1.05 billion), estimated Manufacturers' Association chief Oded Tyrah. "The strike has prevented the creation of 25,000 new jobs. The effects have hurt foreign trade and will affect the way investors view Israel," Tyrah said in a statement. The Finance Ministry said that under the deal, a fund of between 80 million to 150 million shekels would be set up to compensate workers for being transferred to private port companies when the privatisation goes through. Thirty-two vessels were waiting offshore and a further 25 ships, docked at Israeli ports, had not yet been unloaded, Israel Shippers' Council head Eyal Melamud told Reuters. He said if all the port workers returned to work, which a union spokeswoman said would happen on Thursday, it would take three to four days to clear the backlog.
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