Maintaining resilience and continuity – Histadrut message to workers amid “Operation Lion’s Roar”

This morning, Acting Chairman of the Histadrut, Roi Yaakov, issued a statement to all workers in Israel, calling on them to strictly follow Home Front Command directives and maintain essential workplace continuity to ensure the country’s resilience during operation Lion’s Roar.

“At this time, we are all required to demonstrate the resilience and responsibility that have always characterised the Israeli home front.”

In his Letter, Acting Chairman Roi Yaakov discussed the dual responsibility that rests upon workers, compliance with safety laws and directives, and the continuity of essential businesses to national resilience.

“I call on each and every one of you to strictly follow all instructions, major and minor. Home Front Command directives are the most effective tool for protecting your lives and the lives of your loved ones, and these instructions have been written in blood. Please avoid unnecessary risks, heed alerts, and act according to the required protection times.”

“We must remember that the Israeli economy is the backbone of the country during wartime. Alongside taking care of your homes, it is our social duty to report to workplaces, especially in the essential industries and services….It is the key to the long-term resilience of Israeli society.”

Acting Chairman of the Histadrut, Roi Yaakov, emphasised that the Histadrut stands firmly with all members and workers in Israel during the ongoing war, stressing that employee rights remain fully protected even in emergency conditions. He noted that the Histadrut is coordinating closely with all relevant bodies and authorities to safeguard workers against wrongful dismissal, ensure protections for absences resulting from Home Front Command directives or school closures, and secure the necessary compensation.

Furthermore, Yaakov wrote, “In the past two years, in operations that were no less complex, the Histadrut has proven to be an anchor of stability, a source of security, and an open arm to all workers in Israel and their families. From protecting workers’ rights to arranging benefits for reservists. Today too, this is our mission, and we will carry it out with responsibility and pride.”

Permanent protections for reservists and their families

Earlier this month, Acting Chairman Roi Yaakov, together with Dubi Amitai, Chairman of the Business Sector Presidency, signed a new agreement that permanently anchors a wide range of protections and benefits for reservists and their families. The agreement extends job‑protection periods for workers serving over 60 days of reserve duty, grants paid absence days to spouses of reservists with young children, and allows employees to carry over unused vacation days lost due to service. It also ensures long‑term compensation mechanisms for employers, including social‑benefit reimbursements and targeted grants, providing essential certainty for Israel’s labour market as reserve mobilisations continue. This framework reflects the Histadrut’s commitment to workers’ and their families’ rights, despite the potential for prolonged challenges that may follow.

The Histadrut is fully prepared to provide emergency assistance to essential workers across all sectors through the *2383 Emergency Hotline, with support from our professional teams in the regions and at headquarters. If you know of anyone who needs assistance, please refer them to the hotline.

The Histadrut is committed to safeguarding the well-being of every worker in Israel, upholding their rights even in moments of national emergency, and ensuring that essential industries continue to function with strength and dignity.