Bikur Holim Hospital freezes efficiency plan

The management of Bikur Holim Hospital has agreed to suspend a streamlining plan that included 40 layoffs. The hospital has already sent home 30 employees who reached retirement age, and cut salaries by 15%.

Arcadi Gaydamak owns Bikur Holim Hospital, and set up an NPO headed by Rabbi David Zilbershlag to run it. Representatives of the hospital's management met with officials from the doctors union and the Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel) yesterday. The parties agreed that the doctors union will appoint an external financial advisor who will transparently review the hospital's condition and recovery plan. The advisor will be allowed to suggest alternatives to the plan. During the review, the hospital will take no unilateral measures and the employees will launch no sanctions.

Zilbershlag said, "I found a sympathetic ear at the doctors union. Our interests completely coincide, even if there are disagreements on route."

Nonetheless, the Histadrut this afternoon declared a labor dispute at Bikur Holim Hospital. In response to a query by "Globes", the Histadrut said that it was unaware of any agreement with the hospital's management.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on April 2, 2009

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2009