The Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel) has authorized a number of labor disputes over outsourcing, two of the most prominent being at Haifa Port and Israel Railways. The labor dispute declared at Haifa Port, involving 1,100 port workers, is related to plans by port management to outsource operational work in a specific area of the port. The Histradrut supports the workers’ assertion that previously-signed collective work agreements have designated the area in question as one exclusively set aside for operation by port workers.

The Histadrut has approved labor disputes at a number of workplaces including Haifa Port, Israel Railways, and the Israel Military Industries. (Photo: Al-Ittihad)

In the labor dispute authorized at Israel Railways, 2,600 railway workers are protesting management’s decision to introduce contract workers into the company’s ticket offices for the purpose of selling discount cards.

The Histadrut has also authorized a labor dispute at the Israel Military Industries (IMI), where the workers claim that  management plans to set up a central operating mechanism for its plants which is not part of the reorganization steps agreed to in the latest collective work agreement. Here, too, the workers are protesting management’s decision to outsource work currently performed by IMI workers as well as its attempts to subvert union organization through the employment of workers by a variety of means, undermine the workers’ committee, and refrain from paying the union.

Other labor disputes authorized by the Histadrut are at the Israel Police construction center, Bar Ilan University, the Poriya Medical Center in Safed, the Taibe municipality, National Insurance Institute workers in Beer Sheva, the Jaffa Community Mental Health Center, and Income Tax and Land Tax workers in Nazareth.