Tel Aviv (dpa) – Israel's federation of trade unions declared a general strike Wednesday, demanding better conditions for contract workers with poor job security. Government offices, city councils, trains, banks, post offices and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange came to a standstill. Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv also shut down. A court order however limited the strike there until midday. Hospitals were operating with limited capacity, according to a reduced schedule normally used for public holidays. Low- and medium-level university staffers and social workers were also on strike. The trade unions have requested that the Finance Ministry improve the employment conditions of contract workers lacking tenure, including social workers and cleaners. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/rtMf9 Tags: Israel, Labor, Strike, Union Section: Latest News, Palestine