Despite the Histadrut's appeal to prevent the dismissal of 53 "Vita Peri Galil" employees, the workers received dismissal letters today (Monday) and the Histadrut ordered the hearing letters to be returned pending a discussion on the matter.
Last week, the Histadrut demanded from the "Vita Peri Galil" factory to reduce the number of laid-off workers in their factories.
This is after the company announced the cessation of frozen vegetable production.
The Galilee Fruit Factory (archive), photo: Ancho Gush - Gini
The factory, which belongs to the "Half Free" chain, stopped the production of frozen vegetables after suffering losses due to cheap imports in the industry, but will continue the production of frozen chips.
Because of this, not only his employees will be harmed, but also the northern farmers from whom the vegetables came to the production line.
The chairman of the Upper Galilee Region in the Histadrut, Yona Partok, told Israel Hayom: "I gave an order to return the letter.
This means that we currently have no agreements until there are normal numbers, something like 20 employees.
On a principled level, we oppose these layoffs.
"Tomorrow there will be a committee in the Knesset, to which the chairman of the committee and representatives of the Histadrut have been invited.
The chairman of the committee intends to come and state his position. If there is an insistence on these numbers and they have no choice, we will tell them to stop this ongoing saga and close the factory. There is no more strength for this and it is not possible like this. Every six months there is something and every four months there is An argument. It's hard to work like this. Let the workers leave."
Galil fruit workers in Hazor HaGalilit at the entrance to the closed factory (archive), photo: Ancho Gush - Gini
To the question of what will happen to the other workers if the factory closes, he replied: "What does it matter if someone dies in six months or a year? In the end he will die. This is a factory of poor people, who work very hard. Do they not have the right to be quiet? I don't know of such a thing Time, in recent years, we've been going through layoffs and downsizing. In addition, the State of Israel drives me crazy. When they decide on tax cancellation or the possibility of importing frozen foods, don't they think that there are factories that produce in Israel? Why should the workers be involved in this?"
"We as the Histadrut have been accompanying them for many years. Before they determined the number of 53 workers, it was possible to see if it was possible to reduce the numbers. If they insist, then we have something to say. They determined it without negotiation. It will not be like this. I hope the workers will stand behind us and we'll see what we do. We'll postpone it, and if they say there are hearings and they won't give up all 53 workers, there might be a decision to close on our part. We'll say we're not playing their game and we'll close unilaterally, in accordance with the law. We will do everything in an orderly manner and let them do what they want. For now, I don't see any budding of a compromise, and that's a problem."
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