Following the acrimonious dispute between Israel Chemicals (TASE: ICL: NYSE: ICL) employees, backed by the Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel), and company management over the hundreds of layoffs at the company's Dead Sea Works and Bromine Compound subsidiaries, Histadrut chairman Avi Nissenkorn today declared, "If a solution is not found for the crisis in the south by Thursday, a general work dispute will be declared in the entire southern region." Declaring a work dispute enables the Histadrut to go on strike two weeks later.
"Southern Israel must be saved from a wave of layoffs threatening Negev residents," Nissenkorn said. "We'll escalate the struggle, and I'll declare a general work dispute throughout the region. The country's natural resources are involved. I call on the Prime Minister to prevent the layoffs, to intervene in the crisis, and to find a solution for the residents of the south."
Israel Chemicals workers demonstrated today in Beer Sheva as part of their effort to spark public criticism in support of the Histadrut, following similar demonstrations in recent days in towns like Dimona and Arad.
The Histadrut yesterday reported that Israel Chemicals management had pasted summons for pre-layoff hearings on the doors of employees in the dead of night. Israel Chemicals today reported a no less serious occurrence. According to the company, a messenger coming to the home of a Dead Sea Works employee during the evening in order to deliver a summons was violently attacked, and suffered leg and pelvic fractures.
Israel Chemicals said the messenger was brought to the hospital, and was operated on overnight, with platinum plates and screws being implanted in his body. The Dimona police arrested the attacking worker, and Israel Chemicals management filed a complaint with the police against the worker, as well as a lawsuit.
The company asserted that the letters were pasted on doors because the workers committee had instructed the workers not to open their doors, and not to talk with company representatives, and the messengers were therefore instructed to past the letter on workers' doors in the evening and at night.
Israel Chemicals-Israel general manager Avner Maimon said, "We expect Histadrut chairman Avi Nissenkorn and the leaders of the workers committee to denounce and condemn the action, and to personally make sure that such brutal and criminal acts do not recur."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on February 24, 2015
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