Procedures for laying off 144 workers at Israel Chemicals Ltd. (TASE: ICL) subsidiary Bromine Compounds were called off, and company management and the workers committee will resume negotiations for a streamlining plan at the company. Concurrently with the suspension of the layoffs, the Bromine Compounds workers committee, headed by Avner Ben-Senior, announced that the sanctions it had begun following the summoning of employees for a pre-layoff hearing would be terminated.
The agreements were recently reached between the workers and management representatives at the end of a hearing by Beersheva District Labor Court Judge Yael Engelberg-Shoham. The hearing followed a petition by the workers committee alleging that management had unilaterally summoned the workers for a pre-layoff hearing while the parties were negotiating on the matter.
The parties further agreed that their discussions would continue for 40 days, during which they would try to reach agreement. The workers committee has hired former Accountant General Yaron Zelekha to conduct the negotiations on its behalf.
Israel Chemicals said in response, "The Court today ordered the Bromine Compounds workers council to halt its sanctions, return to work immediately, and conduct intensive negotiations with management, while maintaining total industrial quiet. As part of the agreements reached in the courthouse, company management has agreed, as a goodwill gesture, to cancel the notices to the workers during the negotiation period. Company management hopes that the time framework allotted by the judge will motivate the workers representatives to cooperate as soon as possible in the company's recovery."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on November 24, 2014
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