LEAD: Israeli general strike drags on as sides fail to reach deal

Feb 10, 2012, 15:31 GMT

Tel Aviv - Israel's Ministry of Finance and its Histadrut Trade Union Federation failed Friday to reach an agreement, which would end a country-wide general strike that has shut down basic services for three days.

The sides are to parley again on Saturday night. If no agreement can be reached by Sunday - the start of the Israeli working week - the National Labour Court will decide whether or not to issue injunctions ending the strike.

The open-ended strike was called by the Trade Union Federation, to demand better conditions for contract workers with poor job security.

Basic services came to a standstill, including government offices, city councils, trains, banks, post offices and higher-education institutions.

Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv also shut down briefly on Wednesday.

The Histadrut has requested that the Finance Ministry improve the employment conditions of contract workers lacking tenure, including social workers and cleaners.

Two issues reportedly prevent the sides from reaching an agreement - the Histadrut's demand that contract workers whose jobs mirror those of directly employed workers also be transferred to direct employment, and the Finance Ministry's demand that no industrial dispute be declared for four years.