Some 800 Rotem Amfert workers intensified their sanctions on Monday, Dec. 9, and were holed up inside the production plant in southern Israel. They closed the gates to the facility and prevented management from leaving the premises. The police were called in.
The workers decided on the action following a decision by parent company Israel Chemicals Ltd. to begin handing out dismissal notices to workers. The union charged that despite the negotiations that are taking place management continued to hand out notices.
The union leaders said they would not allow any materials or managers to leave the site until they are given a commitment that dismissals will not be based on conditions dictated by ICL management. Last month ICL announced plans to layoff 127 workers at Rotem Amfert.
A Rotem Amfert spokesman said that the company is facing its worst crisis in years due to a sharp drop in phosphate and fertilizer prices that have made the company among the least competitive in the industry. The spokesman added that the layoffs are a painful but necessary measure to enable the company to compete on the international market.