On Wednesday, the Histadrut (Labor Federation in Israel) declared a labor dispute with local government authorities. The action was motivated by a breakdown in negotiations over additional management payments for workers. An agreement signed in May 2012 promised retroactive payment to eligible municipal workers hired from March, 1999 onward by October 2012, while the criteria for payment would be finalized in separate negotiations.

Those negotiations had stalled, they said, leading them to first call parking inspectors away from work to attend “informational meetings,” and then to declare a formal dispute, which opens the door to further action, including a general strike, in two weeks. “It is inconceivable that the Union of Local Authorities in Israel signs an agreement on the one hand, and rejects its application,” said Arnon Ben- David, chairman of the Histadrut’s branch of Clerks, Administrative Public Service Employees, who called Wednesday’s labor dispute.

A demonstration in Tel-Aviv against workers exploitation in the public services (Photo: Activestills)

The labor dispute is the Histadut’s second against local authorities in less than a week. The Histadrut labor federation’s coordination and implementation committee declared a labor dispute Thursday morning over individual contracts at local authorities and government and civil service offices. A labor dispute opens up the possibility of organized protests and strikes after 14 days.