Bar-David called for an immediate increase in the minimum wage to NIS 6,000, and for rapid progress with the framework agreements in the public sector

Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar-David today (Sunday) called on the government to immediately raise the minimum wage to NIS 6,000 and sign wage agreements in the public sector as soon as possible in light of inflation and wage erosion. He said that the Histadrut is already signing wage increase agreements with employers in a targeted manner. “Ministers from Likud can reach agreements with us and bring results. But there are also other energies coming from the Kohelet Forum that is taking over the Ministry of Finance,” said the chairman of the Histadrut.

Bar-David called on the incoming Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich, to hurry up and sign the wage agreements in the public sector with the Histadrut: “The package deal, in which the Histadrut is a partner, has led to growth and prosperity, and the Treasury also agrees on that,” said Bar-David, “therefore I expect the government and the Treasury will bring a salary framework agreement with a significant increase for workers in Israel.”
He noted that the discussions on the issue have already begun but warned of the anti-Histadrut atmosphere, which emerges from the statements of some coalition members. “It is not possible that agreements will not be signed, that our name will be damaged, and they will say that the workers are guilty,” he added.

Bar-David addressed the call to harm workers’ rights and organized labor from Finance Minister Smotrich. “We’re on the offensive, but I’m not worried,” he said. “In four years, we changed the DNA, and we are in a different place.” Although, according to him, the Histadrut has partners within the coalition, “there are hundreds of bills in against the Histadrut – but none of them will pass.”

The Chairman of the Israel Government Employees, attorney Ofir Alcalay also referred to the statements against the Histadrut and said: “We feel the bad concepts blowing in our direction from the new government. These things, in the end, will harm not only the Histadrut but each and every one of the workers.”
Alcalay praised the steadfastness of the workers’ committees and Histadrut districts standing together in the face of the anti-union bills, “If we don’t fight as one man and think it’s a divided struggle. They will hurt us, they will hurt our workers. We don’t have the privilege not to fight. We must be prepared, bring the people, go to the streets, workplaces, and social networks, and unite. If we organize – they will not succeed.”