Arnon Bar-David: “I will not allow Israel to be a rich country with poor citizens.”

Speaking today at the 23rd Histadrut Congress, in which 2,001 delegates elected 171 members of the Histadrut House of Representatives representing all factions in the House, and attended by MKs from various parties, as well as the president of the business sector, Dubi Amitai, and the secretary-general of the Teachers’ Union, Yaffa Ben-David.

Bar-David said that “the money from the state must go to citizens and workers in Israel. There must be a policy that encourages growth and supports citizens, certainly at a time of rising cost of living. “
“I expect the government to increase investment in public services, civic infrastructure, affordable housing and subsidizing basic services for citizens. Ultimately, the state’s role is to take care of its citizens and not completely neglect them to market forces, that is the essence of a state like Israel.”
The Histadrut chairman revealed that in an overnight negotiation, we signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Finance and the Israel Railways Workers Committee regarding a comprehensive reform of the organization, thus completing far-reaching reforms in most services in the economy.
“At the same time, we have a lot more work to do and a few key goals to continue: raising the minimum wage to NIS 6,000 a month, a goal that was signed and stuck in the endless debates between Knesset members, and a new framework agreement through which we will care for and promote the Israeli workers. We must integrate the ultra-Orthodox society, Arab society, and people with disabilities into the world of work. We must have more professional training, occupational diversity, and a healthier life-work balance. For this purpose, we will work to shorten the work week in Israel. “
“We will work to raise the minimum wage and a new framework agreement through which we will treat and promote the workers in Israel. We will also work to shorten the work week and integrate a wide range of populations in the world of employment,” Bar-David concluded.