Country Rating: 3

  • Regular violation of rights

  • Government and/or companies are regularly interfering in collective labour rights or are failling to fully guarantee important aspects of these rights. There are deficiencies in laws and/or certain practices which make frequent violations possible.

Anti-union discrimination: In July 2013, the security company "Modi'in Ezrachi Ltd." threatened its security guards at the railway stations, through SMS text messages from their direct boss, that there is an absolute prohibition to organise in the framework of the Histadrut.

In September 2013, management at Electra announced in a letter sent by courier to approximately 30 workers that it is removing them from the work schedule until they sign a document committing them not to take any organisational measures. At the same time, management blocked the mobile phones and petrol allowance of the employees that held an information meeting about the organising. The management also placed guards at the entrance of the workplace to stop the employees entering.

The "One" news website's management fired Or Zilberman, one of the founders of the Journalists Committee, and cancelled the dismissal following an order of the Labour Court. In addition, employees who were identified as union members were given fewer shifts and they also were not invited to a social activities organised by management. Moreover, demands by unions to enter into collective bargaining negotiations are declined in violation of a court order of the Labour Court ruling that the Journalists Organisation is a representative organisation and that "One" news is obliged to hold negotations.

Violation of collective agreement: In July 2013, management at Maariv tried to force the employees' committee to sign a statement cancelling a collective agreement concluded six months earlier. Moreover, an email was sent to the workers arguing that the employees' committee lost the right to represent workers in collective bargaining negotiations. Workers were asked individually to fill out an online questionnaire on cutbacks at the company.

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