(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Half a million Israeli public and private sector workers are holding the strike, organized by the biggest trade union umbrella group, Histadrut.
Israel's bank, ports, stock markets, trains, post offices, government offices and stock markets remained closed on Thursday as a result of the strike.
The main labor union wants the government to hire some 250,000 contract workers who seek to receive the same benefits as full employees.
The finance ministry has said it cannot take on such a big number of new workers and instead offered to improve conditions of contract workers by raising salaries by at least 20 percent.
The government and Histadrut officials held talks overnight behind closed doors.
Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz warned Wednesday that the strike endangered the Israeli market and economy.
Histadrut also staged a similar strike for the same reason in November.
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