Labor conflict in southern Israel: 850 Rotem Amfert Negev employees at risk of cuts

Histadrut declared a labor conflict in the company Rotem Amfert Negev, part of the industrial concern ICL. The reason was the intention of management to reduce staff costs and carry out organizational changes without coordination with employee representatives. Against the background of stalled negotiations on a new collective agreement, jobs, salaries and working conditions of about 850 employees of the enterprise were threatened.

According to the trade union association, the company’s management intends to unilaterally implement measures to optimize costs, which can lead to staff reduction, employment reduction and deterioration of working conditions.

The confrontation escalated after the expiration of the previous collective agreement. Negotiations between the management of the enterprise and the working committee have not yielded results, and attempts to agree on the terms of the new contract have actually stalled.

Representatives of workers demand to resume a full-fledged negotiation process and conclude an agreement providing for higher wages, better working conditions and guarantees for the preservation of jobs.

A separate requirement concerns the recalculation of payments for the period since the end of the previous collective agreement. The union insists that the wage increase provided for in the new agreement should be extended to this period.

Rom Dvir, the chairman of the trade union of workers of the chemical industry, hotel sector and agriculture, announced the full support of the employees of the enterprise from the Histadrut.

Histadrut stands firmly on the side of the Rotem Amfert Negev workers. Our demands are absolutely justified: the conclusion of a new collective agreement, higher wages and job security. We will use all the means at our disposal to achieve fair conditions for each employee, Dvir said.

The chairman of the Rotem Amfert Negev working committee Moshe Hadad took an equally tough stance. According to him, the decision of management to reduce staff costs is especially outrageous against the background of the high financial performance, which the company achieved thanks to many years of work of employees.

“After years of record-breaking results from our employees, management’s intention to cut costs is outrageous. It is the professionalism and dedication of the team for many years ensured the prosperity of the company and brought it millions of dollars in income. You can’t thank people for their successes and then sit down at the negotiating table and act like they didn’t deserve anything.

The declaration of a labor dispute indicates the transition of the conflict to the official plane and opens the trade union the opportunity to resort to collective measures provided for by law, including strike actions in compliance with established procedures.

The announcement of the dispute does not mean the start of a strike. Further development of the situation will depend on the willingness of the management of Rotem Amfert Negev to return to negotiations and discuss the requirements of representatives of approximately 850 employees of the enterprise.