At the center of the dispute is the organization's demand that the corporation's CEO, Golan Yochfaz, is unwilling to accept – that the entire increase in the salary budget index (the Corporation Law linked the corporation's budget to the index) go to employees' wages and that part of the increase be distributed on a lateral basis to all employees
The journalists' union and the workers' committee of the broadcasting corporation declared a labor dispute on Sunday morning, against the background of an impasse in negotiations with the corporation's management. The organization says the corporation's management is unwilling to sign "a fair collective agreement that addresses reasonable and balanced economic and organizational demands of the workers' representatives." The corporation's management, on the other hand, adheres to their position that they will not make decisions that would endanger the organization's economic future, or that would prevent proper management of the corporation. In recent days, as stated, representatives of the workers' committee blew up the last negotiating meeting, and even refused to comply with Yokafez's request to resume talks.
Brief background: The parties conducted intensive negotiations to sign a collective agreement for a long period of time, even before Golan Yochfaz assumed the position of CEO. When Yokafez took office, and in light of the threats by the Minister of Communications to harm the continuation of the corporation's broadcasts, Yokafez contacted the workers' representatives and asked to suspend the negotiations in order to join hands in the struggle against the threat of closure. The organization says that it agreed to the request with the understanding that once the struggle against the threat of closure ends, negotiations will be renewed.At the center of the dispute is the organization's demand that the corporation's CEO Golan be unwilling to accept that the entire increase in the salary budget index (the Corporation Law linked the corporation's budget to the index) go to employees' wages and that part of the increase be distributed on a lateral basis to all employees.
The framework agreement signed with the Histadrut effectively raised the wages of all employees in the public sector. From this agreement, employees of the corporation were excluded. It should also be noted that the salaries of the CEO and the salaries of deputy directors at the Broadcasting Corporation are also linked to the index.
A conference in support of the Journalists Association for the Israel Broadcasting Corporation (Photo: Reuven Castro)
The organization recognizes the warming on the lines of Communications Minister Qrei, who does not hide his intentions to harm the corporation, and believes that Yochfaz would prefer not to enter into a head-on confrontation with the workers at this time
But now, according to the organization, "despite management's declarations of desire to reach an agreement as quickly as possible, the corporation's CEO has retracted a significant part of the understandings already reached between the parties in the collective bargaining between them, and presented extreme positions regarding salary increases, which mean significant wage erosion." And so it did.
It is believed that the journalists' organization sees a window of opportunity to exert pressure before signing an agreement, after approval of the state budget. The organization recognizes the warming on the lines of Communications Minister Karai, who does not hide his intentions to harm the corporation, and believes that Yokafez would prefer not to enter into a head-on confrontation with the workers at this time. The union hints that without a collective bargaining agreement, it will be difficult to mobilize the workers for another round of the struggle.
Eli Gershenkroin, CEO of the Journalists Association, said: "After 6 years in which the corporation's employees succeed in providing an outstanding public broadcaster against all odds, they deserve a decent collective agreement that will regulate their employment conditions and wages, against the background of the rampant cost of living. I call on the corporation's management to sit down with the workers' representatives and reach agreements that will make the operation of the labor dispute redundant."
Eliran Gabay, Chairman of the Broadcasting Corporation's Employees Committee, said: "The corporation's employees have waited a long time for a collective agreement, and we will act with full force if necessary to bring the management to the understanding that a collective agreement is critical for the corporation's continued proper operation. We will no longer allow ongoing wage erosion. Especially at a time when prices in the economy are rising by tens of percent, and at the same time the corporation has been budgeted so that it can enable wage increases. We demand that the management arrange this as soon as possible."
The Israel Broadcasting Corporationsaid in response: "We will not comment in the media on matters related to the employees of the corporation. We will respond to the committee, as is customary, in an official and orderly manner."
- Berenger
- news
Tags
- Israel Broadcasting Corporation
- Golan Yochfaz
- Journalists' Association
