Court instructs Histadrut to end strike

Arnon Bar David and Bezalel Smotrich credit: Histadrut Spokesperson, Noam Moskovich Knesset Spokesperson
Arnon Bar David and Bezalel Smotrich credit: Histadrut Spokesperson, Noam Moskovich Knesset Spokesperson

The Ministry of Finance petitioned the Labor Court for an injunction to end what it says was a blatantly political strike.

The president of the District Labor Court, Hadas Yahalom, instructed Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel) chairperson Arnon Bar-David to end today's general strike at 14.30.

Earlier Bar-David had told the Labor Court today, "Unless an immediate injunction is issued, we will end the strike at 18:00 this evening." This followed an application by the Ministry of Finance for an injunction to end the general strike called by the Histadrut today in support of demands by the families of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip for a deal for the hostages’ release. The Ministry of Finance argued that the move was an unlawful political strike. The application was filed at the request of Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich, with the approval of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara.

Judge Yahalom, said that the parties should reach a consensus, while counsel for the Gvura Forum, which represents families of fallen soldiers, Adv. Ilan Bombach, requested a ruling that would impose costs on the Histadrut. The Gvura Forum and the Tikva Forum, which represents hostages’ families opposed to a ceasefire deal, have also filed petitions in the court.

The Ministry of Finance’s petition stated, "The stance of the minister of finance and of the prime minister is that we are dealing with a political strike, the political aims of which have not only not been denied, but have been declared openly. It should therefore not be permitted, however lofty its aims may be… the strike was called without warning, deliberately without the announcement of a labor dispute as required by law, and declaredly to change the policy of the government of Israel in the context of a hostage deal, an important, honorable, and distressing cause, but one that has nothing whatever to do with labor law."

Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on September 2, 2024.

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2024.

Arnon Bar David and Bezalel Smotrich credit: Histadrut Spokesperson, Noam Moskovich Knesset Spokesperson
Arnon Bar David and Bezalel Smotrich credit: Histadrut Spokesperson, Noam Moskovich Knesset Spokesperson
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