40 Friday, November 30, 1919 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Histadrut Calls Off General Strike Over Israel Austerity Moves JERUSALEM (JTA) — A general strike called for Tuesday was canceled by Histadrut at the urging of the national Labor Court here. The court did not act on an appeal by the Man- ufacturers Associaiton to A NANCY a r:47 /7.4)(-6 NuNAI DINNER THEATRE 0 presents n 0 2 WIRL:g. 8 CA "• m us 1 ::- , NIT 0 )1 16. Starring NANCY GURWIN "An amazing and often wonderful —Chuck O thing to behold." Thuriton 0 ce. This is Funny Girl at its best." —Danny Raskin "A delicious treat." —Shirlee Wen cc 869- 3988 41314VM V ri PERFECT m— THE 411 \ BLEND In The Heritage Bldg. NORTHWESTERN AT EVERGREEN NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE PARTIES SATURDAYS TIL 6 p.m. SUNDAYS TIL 2 a.m. L UP TO 150 • Bar Mitzvas • Showers • Sweet Sixteens • Disco Parties • All Occasions ASK FOR TED 353-4070 declare the strike illegal, but arranged a compromise in the interests of "good labor relations." Histadrut stressed that the strike was not aimed against management but was intended as a protest against the government's new austerity economic program. The court agreed that Histadrut could reactivate the strike plans. The strike decision was taken by Histadrut's Executive Committee at a stormy session during which fist-fights broke out between members of the Labor Party and other opposition factions and representatives of Likud who support the government's economic policies. Police were called at one point. A Likud-sponsored - no-confidence motion in Histadrut Secretary Gen- eral Yeruham Meshel was defeated. Had the general strike materialized, it might not have been fully effective. Several public service workers unions said they would not participate. Many civil servants were not willing to lose a day's pay. Meanwhile, the initial ef- fects of the goverment's economic measures re- mained unclear. According to one report, the labor market is responding to Fi- nance Minister Yigal Hur- wits efforts to shift em- ployment from services to productive industry. But soaring prices resulting from the elimination of gov- ernment subsidies for basic commodities is making it harder to sell goods. These developments seem to bear out the warning by Avarham Shavit, president of the Manufacturers As- sociaiton, that large- scale unemployment is imminent. Addressing a press con- ference, Shavit charged that Hurwitz's new meas- ures will create unemploy- ment for industrial workers at a time when the govern- ment is encouraging work- ers to switch to industrial jobs. According to a just pub- lished study by a firm of fi- nancial consultants affil- iated with the Bank Leumi, inflation may increase by 40 percent over the next three months 'as a result of the government's austerity measures. The study found that con- sumer prices will rise 20 percent higher than origi- nally expected. Although subsidy cuts will save the treasury IL 8.5 billion, the government's debts exceed that figure gy IL 2 billion. Manufacturers say, meanwhile, that the cre- dit freeze alone will force them to raise prices by at least 10 percent. A Knesset debate on the new economic measures was interrupted when Communist MK Charlie Bi- ton, leader of the Black Panthers, committed a de- liberate breach of etiquette. Taking the podium' to urge the release of 20 per- sons arrested in the Jerusalem riots, Biton de- clared: "Nobody listens to the plight of the weaker strata, neither in the gov- ernment nor in the Knesset. It is like talking to the wall." Thereupon he turned his back on the chamber and continued his remarks "to the wall." Furious Likud Mks walked out. The chairman of the session or- dered a recess. Hurwitz has already con- ceded to one demand by the labor federation. He said the government would con- sider raising the cost-of- living allowances periodi- cally given wage earners, to 100 percent of the inflation though previously it was 80 percent of the cost-of-living increase. He also an- nounced that the incre- ments will be paid in January instead of next April when they are nor- mally due. But the strongest protests within Histadrut were over Hurwitz's freeze of wage agreements. Under his pro- gram, labor contracts up for renewal next April, the be- ginning of the new fiscal year, will be extended until April 1981. If this is implemented in the public sector the private sector will doubtlessly fol- low through. Hurwitz said the freeze is necessary to preserve the real value of wages. The minister told the Likud Histadrut members that tough times lay ahead, that some firms might go bankrupt and there might be unemployment. But the desperate condition of the economy demands major surgery, he said. The Likud members promised to dissociate themselves from any at- tempt by Labor to exploit the economic austerity in an attempt to topple the government. Meanwhile, Deputy Pre- mier Yigael Yadin warned that he will pull his Demo- cratic Movement out of the government coalition if Hurwitz's program affects "Project Renewal," the mas- sive slum clearance and re- habilitation project under- taken by the government in partnership with overseas Jewry. According to Yadin, the riots in Jerusalem last week by Black Panthers and resi- dents of poverty neighbor- hoods might have been avoided had Hurwitz given some assurance on "Project Renewal." Yadin said several thousand members of the Black - Panther movement and residents of poverty neighborhoods in Jerusalem demonstrated in several parts of the city against the government's new austerity economic program and its expendi- ture of money for settle- ments on the West Bank. In what observers said was the most violent demonstration by Jews her since 1971 when Blac Panthers first took to the streets, the protesters burned tires, tossed barrels and hurled rocks at police. One police car was set on fire. UJA Will Honor Timerman NEW YORK — "It is very important to be a Jew. After that, we can discuss all the other points." These are the words of Jacobo Timerman, the Argentinian Jewish editor recently released from house arrest after years of worldwide protest. Timer- man is slated to receive the United Jewish Appeal 1979 David Ben-Gurion Award during the UJA national conference, at a public as- sembly in Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center, on Dec. 7. The Avery Fisher Hall assembly will also include a tribute to recently released Soviet Jewish Prisoner of Conscience Boris Penson, a dramatic reading by actor Eli Wallach, and a concert by the Soviet Jewish Emigre Orchestra, under the direction of Lazar Guz- man. Timerman will receive the Ben-Gurion Award for his "struggle against oppression and for the right to live a Jewish life." The 1978 award * * went to Soviet Jewish Prisoners of Conscience. Timerman said, "We owe so much to the Jews of Rus- sia. In Argentina, I had a very very bad feeling be- cause I thought that, after all, I was under house ar- rest; not in so bad conditions as the Jews who were in Russia. "The decision of the Jews of Russia to fight for being Jews is something that I think we don't realize the importance of. That means really that Jews can sur- vive. This is something they show to us. "Freedom as a human being and freedom as a Jew — they are very different. I am used to the idea of being free. I suppose it is not dif- ficult to live like a free human being. But what is really difficult is to live as a free Jew. This is something I never imagined, it was an experience I never had. "I have been a free man, but I never was a free Jew. In Israel, you are a free Jew, and I am discovering every day what it means." * mling Tunnelwilar-B-Q Style Here we go again. Party platters galore. Cheeses, breads and salads. Fruits, premium meats and nuts and of course our very own world famous IMPORTED Canadian Spare-Ribs. Holiday cakes & cookies, all carefully made from family recipes and a mouthwatering array of ethnic presentations that are just dazzling and sure to please any gathering. We'll tailor the menu to suit your budget & requirements & COMPLIMENT ANY SETTING. Our family recipes are made with ny synthetics or preservatives and we offer a complete drip off service, right to your door. This season's Holidays, try us -- you'll love us! Jacobo Timerman, left, is shown with Irving Bernstein, executive vice chairman of the United Jewish Appeal. Israeli Teachers in Treasury Dept. food outhfield, Michigan, Telephone 358-3663 29161 Northwestern, S' JERUSALEM (JTA) — Youth Aliya teachers in Kiryat Shemona have each contributed 25 hours of work to the Treasury as their part in the efforts to strengthen the economy. In a letter to Cabinet ministers and Histadrut Secretary General Yeruham Meshel, the teachers noted that they have raised the contribu- tion despite their relatively low salaries because "Is- rael's teachers should be at the spearhead of every vol- untary action." The teachers believe‘their contribution would save the state tens of thousands of pounds. They expressed the hope that other workers would follow.