UCAPSE to Prime Minister: Negotiate or meet us in court.

Following the Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir’s demand to transfer the National Unit to Supervise and Control Open Spaces of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority to his Ministry, UCAPSE (Union of Clerical Administration and Public Service Employees) is threatening to petition the Labor Court to guarantee the rights of the workers. The Israel Nature and Parks Authority unit currently includes 70 workers entrusted with enforcing environmental laws in nature reserves and national parks.

As part of the coalition agreements, the Minister of National Security and Chairman of Otzma Yehudit, Itamar Ben Gvir, demanded that all civil enforcement units, including the Israel Nature and Parks Authority unit, be transferred to the responsibility of his office.

UCAPSE, which represents the authority workers, is now threatening to appeal to a labor court if their rights are not guaranteed in preliminary negotiations before their transfer. In a letter sent by the chairman of the UCAPSE, attorney Gil Bar Tal, to the Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office, Yossi Shelli, he Emphasizes: “The working conditions and occupational security of the inspectors are anchored in agreements between the Nature and Parks Authority and the Histadrut, and their transfer to the responsibility of the Ministry of National Security has implications for these agreements. Therefore, we demand negotiations to be conducted with us on a collective agreement before taking any operative step. We will stand up for the workers’ rights in any lawful way available to us.”