Freesbe Workers Stand Strong Against Management Pressure, Histadrut Submits Urgent Injunction Request

Today (Wednesday), the Histadrut submitted to the Tel Aviv Regional Labor Court an urgent request for a temporary injunction designed to stop the illegal actions of the Freesbe management (Carso Group) to thwart the initial organization of the group’s workers in the Histadrut. Carso Group includes companies in importing, distributing, selling, financing, and renting vehicles.

The process of organizing began last week to establish a workers’ committee and enter into negotiations for a collective agreement in the group of companies. The group’s employees’ response was excellent; after the necessary majority was reached, the Histadrut informed the group’s CEO Yitzhak Weitz of its legal representation. Despite this, the management ignored the representation’s notice and instead acted in various ways to harm the organization to thwart it.

During the last week, Histadrut acquired extensive evidence indicating that senior managers have worked against unionization in various ways since organizing. The actions include: restricting the steps of the members of the action committee and blocking them from entering the company’s establishments; sending threats and intimidation regarding not receiving bonuses and benefits as long as the unionization is successful; monitoring and tracing the members of the action committee; Prohibited appeals by senior managers to their subordinates and rank-and-file employees to cancel their membership in the Histadrut; Activity of senior managers in spreading defamatory information against the Histadrut and the organizing efforts, launching an online petition against the unionization and more.

The group’s management even stepped up and blocked access to the Histadrut website from the company’s computers and, in contrast, allowed access to the online petition website against the unionization. The immediate counter-reaction to the open organizing process on the part of the group’s management came to fruition through managers of the highest level who were deployed on the various company sites immediately and contacted the employees regarding the organizing.

Upon receiving the reports and evidence regarding these violations and improper actions, the Histadrut appealed to the group’s management, demanding an immediate end to any breach of the right to organize and to allow its representatives access to the company’s establishments. Despite this, apart from evasion, no substantive response was given by the group’s management to the Histadrut’s claims. Therefore, the Histadrut applied for urgent assistance from the Labor Court to stop the group’s leadership’s illegal actions to thwart its employees’ unionization.

The Freesbe Workers’ Action Committee: “Despite the great pressure placed on Freesbe workers, and despite the threatening atmosphere on the part of the group’s management, we are determined in our action. Hundreds of Freesbe workers who joined the Histadrut expressed their opinion: unionization is a fait accompli. We call on the management to recognize the representation and enter into negotiations in good faith. We are sure that together we will move the company to a better place.”

The appeal to the court was led by attorneys Anat Gutman and Adi Golan from the Legal Bureau of the Trade Union Division headed by attorney Hana Schnitzer.