The management of Haifa Chemicals northern factory today notified more than 700 employees that the plant is shutting down and that only emergency and disposal staff need come to work. Dismissal notices will be sent out at the beginning of next week.
Management met with the workers committee yesterday afternoon and informed them that it was considering sending employees home until September 18, the last day for emptying ammonia according to the Supreme Court ruling last Thursday. This morning, Haifa Chemicals employees were told "The plant cannot continue in the current situation and it has been decided that all employees will be laid off and the plant closed.
Of Haifa Chemicals 700 employees in the north, 250 are subject to a collective agreement and will be more difficult to fire. The rest are contract workers with about 20 having personal contracts.
The employees plan coming to work out of protest. Workers Committee chairman Eli Elbaz said, "Only one body is responsible for the ammonia crisis - the company's management. The company continues to use employees as hostages in an attempt to make money. This is a scandalous response by management which persists in threatening employees."
Haifa Chemicals said in response, "Due to recent developments, the company has been considering the situation over the past few days and will make an announcement after Tisha B'Av."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on August 1, 2017
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