Labor Dispute Declared over Long- Term Collective Care Insurance

The Histadrut’s house of representatives, the upper body of the General Federation of Labor in Israel, last week approved a general labor dispute following a deadlock in negotiations with the Ministry of Finance over collective long-term care insurance.

The Histadrut House of Representatives approving last week a general labor dispute over long-term collective care insurance

The Histadrut House of Representatives approving last week a general labor dispute over long-term collective care insurance (Photo: Histadrut)

By declaring a labor dispute the Histadrut can call for a general strike in a number of institutions and bodies, almost all of them in the public sector, following a 14-day cooling-off period. If a strike is in fact declared, just prior to the date it is to begin the coordination and operations committee of the Histadrut’s union section will convene and publish a list of the agencies to be affected. The list is expected to include Ben-Gurion Airport, Israel Railways, the ports, government ministries, universities, municipalities, etc. The Physicians Union and Teacher’s Union also adopted a similarly decision on this working-class issue.

The Histadrut is taking this measure in response to the decision by the Ministry of Finance, specifically that of the Supervisor of Capital Markets, Insurance, and Savings, Dorit Salinger, to implement a neo-liberal reform. Under this reform, the only long-term care insurance policies to be marketed in the future will be for individuals, eliminating collective policies which until now have offered cheaper terms. The Histadrut is demanding a solution not only for holders of collective long-term care insurance policies, but the formulation of a solution involving state-sponsored long-term care insurance.