The powerful Histadrut Labor Federation has declared a work dispute at Israel Chemical’s (ICL) Dead Sea Works. The union at the company has for the first time joined the labor dispute at other ICL subsidiaries, and is protesting ICL management’s decision to implement a recovery plan that involves the laying off of workers at all subsidiaries.
Dead Sea Works union leader Edmond Lankry charged that ICL’s management is trying to impose efficiency measures in an attempt to transfer more operations abroad or to sell it. He said that “just as we fought against management’s plans to sell ICL to the Canadians (PotashCorp), we will take action against the new plans.” The declaration means that Dead Sea workers could impose sanctions, including an all out strike, in two weeks time.
Up to now, Dead Sea Works has refrained from joining the labor action. Last week workers at another subsidiary, Rotem Amfert, imposed sanctions to protest the firing of workers. This followed a deadlock in negotiations between management and the union over conditions for workers to go on early retirement.
ICL management says that the company, like others in the fertilizer industry, is dealing with the sharp drop in prices that requires adjusting expenses. In addition, management claims ICL has been hit hard in the past year by a number of decisions by the Israeli government.