After a number of consecutive days of work sanctions by thousands of employees of the Clalit Kupat Cholim HMO, the nation’s largest, the Histadrut National Labor Federation has declared a ‘work dispute’ towards compelling treasury officials to negotiate a mutually acceptable agreement. The non-medical staff of the HMO is on strike, leading to a most unpleasant situation in affiliated hospitals, with maintenance staff operating on a minimum level, as well as the visible shortage in administrative and other support personnel.

According to the union representatives of the HMO, many of these non-medical employees are earning less than minimum wage, and they are unwilling to permit this unacceptable situation to continue.

By declaring a ‘work dispute’, the labor union starts the countdown ticker which runs for two weeks, at the conclusion of which the HMO will be permitted to declare a strike. The two week hiatus period is intended to send a message to management and the treasury, to compel intensive negotiations towards averting a strike action.

Histadrut leader Ofir Eini will be meeting with Clalit and treasury officials on Thursday in a first step towards reaching an agreement.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)