Histadrut declares labour dispute at DHL amid stalled collective bargaining talks

The Histadrut has formally declared a labour dispute at DHL Israel, the global logistics and international shipping company, following a prolonged deadlock in negotiations toward a first collective agreement for the company’s employees. The move comes after months of talks that began alongside the company’s initial unionisation process in June 2025, during which more than 80% of DHL’s approximately 470 employees chose to organise under the Histadrut.

Despite the company’s formal recognition of the union’s representative status, negotiations have not progressed meaningfully. This escalation reflects the frustration among employees and their representatives over systematic delays and obstacles placed by management.

Negotiations in bad faith and harm to union activity

At the heart of the dispute is DHL’s management’s conduct throughout the negotiations. The talks have been marked by repeated delays and deliberate obstacles that have prevented progress toward a first collective agreement, constituting a breach of good faith. Additionally, the company’s management has committed serious violations of the right to organise, including retaliatory measures directed at members of the workers’ committee.

These violations include unilateral changes to working conditions, selective and discriminatory enforcement of workplace rules, wage reductions, and hostile statements by managers toward committee members. In parallel, the company has refused to provide the essential information requested by the workers’ representatives. Information indispensable to genuine and effective collective bargaining.

Adv. Nir Eisenberg, Deputy Chair of the Histadrut Transportation Workers’ Union, stated: “The company is acting in complete contradiction. On the one hand, it recognises the workers’ representative status, while on the other hand, it does everything it can to undermine it. This is a blatant disregard for the workers’ clear desire to sign a collective agreement, and such stalling cannot be accepted.”

Increased outsourcing threatens job security

Another central issue fueling the dispute is DHL’s unilateral expansion of outsourcing. Its management has increased the scope of work performed by external contractors without agreement, raising deep concerns among employees about job security and the future of in-house positions.

Head of the Private Transport & Haulage Division in the Transport Workers Union, Adv. Tali Greenberg, emphasised the broader implications of these moves: “We will not accept foot-dragging, systematic harm to the workers’ representatives, or unilateral outsourcing at the expense of employees’ job security. DHL’s workers are dedicated, responsible, and professional. They are the ones who make the company’s success possible.”

The labour dispute at DHL reflects a global tension between the fair demand for stable employment, fair conditions, and genuine collective bargaining and the so-called “corporate flexibility” often expressed through outsourcing. The Histadrut will not accept practices that undermine job security or weaken workers’ voices. We remain fully committed to defending the right to organise and to bargain collectively, and we will continue to act decisively to secure fair pay, decent working conditions, and long‑term employment security for DHL workers and for workers everywhere.