Histadrut National Labor Federation Chief Avi Nissenkorn has announced he is declaring a national general strike and shutting down the country on for half of Sunday, 29 Kislev in response to the planned firing of about 3,000 employees by Teva Pharmaceuticals.
“The entire economy – from the airport to the banks to the seaports to the municipalities to the government service to the health clinics – will stand until noon on Sunday in solidarity with Teva’s employees,” Nissenkorn told reporters.
Teva is shutting or relocating most of its Israel operations, firing 3,300 of 6,430 employees in Israel. Teva plans to cut the number of jobs at its global headquarters in Petach Tikvah by 45%.
Nissenkorn said, “Teva has received NIS 22 billion tax benefits since 2006. NIS 22 billion that Israel’s citizens gave to the company. They knew how to take it and now they are turning their back on the country. The Israeli government cannot turn its back but must demand a genuine solution and vision. We have proved before that when a company is in trouble we rally to the cause.”
He added, “It is inconceivable that Teva’s board of directors is unmoved when it wipes out Teva in Israel and wipes out the vision of those who founded it. Where is the human dignity? Teva’s employees are spread out throughout the country from Kiryat Shmona to the Negev, in Jerusalem, Ashdod and Shoham. They are workers who are proud of their places of employment.” “Teva, the flagship of Israeli industry, has become Israel’s industrial ruins.The company rose through an invention at the Weizmann Institute but today is throwing away its status as an Israeli company and abandoning the vision of its founders as an Israeli development company. It would not have happened if the founders were still on Teva’s management. Those who do not know the past do not know the future.”
“Those responsible for this mess are the board of directors and management. They conducted failed deals and put hundreds of millions of shekels into their pockets. The current CEO received a signing on fee of $20 million and we see the workers carrying the burden.”
“The entire country stands in solidarity with Teva. The banks, stock exchange and public transport.”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
In a free market economy such as EY, a corporation is responsible to its shareholders and is not obligated to provide long-term employment to at-will employees. None of the government support it received over the years obligates Teva to maintain unprofitable operations. The same problems are afflicting ALL of the major generic drug companies all over the world. This strike will serve no purpose other than adding a new disruption to the lives of EY, (as if they don’t have enough tsoros with the Peleg demonstrations).
Where are all the comments condemning the ungrateful parasites, the time-wasters, the ambulance-blockers, preventing people from getting to their jobs/appointments on time (or at all)? This is not blocking a few intersections — it’s the entire country!! How many billions of shekels is that? Oh, of course, they’re not Chareidi yeshiva students. Oh, so then it’s acceptable and understandable. I forgot that some demonstrations are more legitimate than others. For the fat cats of the Histadrut — it’s the beginning of the flowering of our redemption. Yeshiva guys? Sit still and keep quiet!
Wow just in time for chanuka vacation!
…demonstrating why Teva has high costs when it produces in Eretz Yisrael. One can not compete in a global economy with high labor costs and wildcat strikes.