38 workers and passers-by have been killed so far this year in accidents at building sites in Israel, and Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel) chairman Avi Nissenkorn is angry. At long last he's angry, say social activists, who have been waiting for a long time for a substantial force like the Histadrut to rouse itself and come to the aid of the construction workers.
Two weeks ago, the Histadrut's institutions decided to approve Nissenkorn's proposal and declare a labor dispute. This means that unless the Histadrut's demands for improving the situation are met, we may soon see the first ever general strike in Israel in the name of workers' safety.
Why now
Nissenkorn: "We have been trying to make a breakthrough on this issue for years. Generally, we try to do so by agreement. In 2017 there was a decline, and we hoped it was a trend, but it didn't happen. There's no choice. I have come to the conclusion that we have to take the step of a general dispute in the economy, and that after I warned for months. Even before the press announcement I was warning in internal talks. In the summer, I gave a month and a half, and then more time for discussions, but, unless there's a breakthrough, in the first week of November we'll declare a general strike."
What made you spring to the defense of workers who are not Histadrut members?
""We represent the entire economy in this instance, because the safety problem does not exist in a vacuum. Everything has a direct economic effect. Take the minimum wage, for example. When we dealt with raising the minimum wage, it's true that the effect was mainly on the lowest pay rates, which rose 25%, but it was also on all workers in the economy, and we saw it empirically, on the median and mean wage and on wage increases. The reverse is also true: when the minimum wage doesn't rise, it depresses all wages.
"Here too, when safety in the construction industry improves, you'll see that that will affect safety in all industries. When human life is assigned importance, that will reduce violence in the hospitals as well. In the end, we don't exist in a bubble. It's like the butterfly effect. Everything has an impact. When we deal with the safety problem, that will have knock-on effects, that's how it is, by definition.
"Secondly, for years we have represented all construction workers, and all extension orders apply to construction workers as well. We give individual legal treatment to construction workers in cooperation with the Palestinian workers organizations. That's not new. The safety issue requires special attention just now."
Since you declared a labor dispute, five workers have died in various accidents. Whom do you see as responsible for the situation we're in?
"The government and the employers. First and foremost the government, by the way, and then the employers."
Minister of Labor and Welfare Haim Katz sees things the opposite way from you - first the employers, and only after that the government.
"The government cannot shake off responsibility. The actions that need to be taken are mainly in the government's hands. For example, it makes no sense that in the Israel of 2018 the European standard for scaffolding has not been adopted."
What will be considered a breakthrough?
"We have written a document, and it should be signed."
And do you have clear targets?
"It's not possible to reduce the number of accidents to zero, but we should get them down to the OECD average. We're at 2.5 times the OECD average."
How serious are you, and will you go all the way?
"It now depends on the other sides. I published the demands a long time ago. I have met with the parties over them, and I didn't raise any illogical demands or any that have excessive budgetary costs. In a few years' time, it will be seen that this move improves efficiency and safety, that it doesn't increase costs but reduces them. It's true that the scaffolding will cost more and the contractors should be helped with accelerated depreciation - and we're working on that with the Tax Authority. They need to be helped, but it will have beneficial effects on economic activity. The scaffolding will be of better quality, easier and more efficient to work with. Every injury and every fall entails costs to the contractors as well."
You're putting all your political weight behind this campaign. Do you think the private sector workers will cooperate? Will they join you if it comes to a strike?
"They will all cooperate and they will all go out on strike together."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on October 24, 2018
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