Our story and social impact

The Histadrut operates out of a vision based on the principles of equality and social justice, solidarity, and mutual guarantee. The Histadrut works for the benefit of all workers and retirees in Israel.

What we do

For over a century, the Histadrut has been the driving force for working people in Israel. We exist to build worker power, secure fair wages, champion workplace safety, and ensure a dignified retirement for all. In an era of shifting economies and corporate pressure, a strong, unified labour movement is more critical than ever to guarantee decent work, systemic equality, and workplace democracy.

Every day, we organise, negotiate, and campaign for an inclusive, diverse economy where every worker is treated with dignity and respect. As Israel’s national trade union centre, our mission is built on three core pillars:

Empowering affiliates and building solidarity: We serve as the democratic umbrella organization for our affiliated unions, magnifying their collective bargaining power and standing on the frontlines to defend and improve working conditions across all sectors.
Legislative and political advocacy: We lobby lawmakers, author progressive labor legislation, and launch public campaigns to shape social policy and protect workers’ rights under the law.
Advancing the future of work: We provide essential services, lifelong learning, and skills training to help workers adapt to a changing economy while aggressively advocating for healthier work-life balance.

Promoting fair labour standards

History of Histadrut

The general federation of labour in Israel

When the Histadrut was founded in December 1920, its original mandate was far broader than that of a traditional labour union. Guided by the foundational vision "to create the organisation of all workers in the Land of Israel," the movement stepped into a reality where the growing Jewish community utterly lacked the basic infrastructure required for both work and daily life. Because of these immense gaps, the Histadrut did not merely represent employees; it laid down the vital social and economic foundations of an emerging workforce.

From the beginning, the Histadrut believed that true labour empowerment required nourishing both the bodies and minds of the pioneer workforce. To achieve this, a powerful, parallel network of cultural and social institutions was developed that wove the community together. Through its central cultural committees, the Histadrut established night schools to teach Hebrew to thousands of arriving immigrants, built working-class libraries, and fostered pioneering literature, community sports, and worker theatres like Ohel. The Histadrut transformed daily culture from individual leisure into a shared national ethos, ensuring that every factory floor, transport cooperative, and kibbutz became a lively laboratory for the developing democratic Hebrew society.

As Israel grew, so did the Histadrut's vast organisational reach, eventually anchoring the country's collective economy through its economic branch, Hevrat HaOvdim (the Society of Workers). For generations, the Histadrut operated major industrial enterprises, consumer cooperatives such as Hamashbir, construction giants such as Solel Boneh, and the vital national healthcare grid, Kupat Holim Clalit. The Histadrut was a uniquely multi-faceted anchor—simultaneously the nation’s largest employer, its primary safety net, and its fiercest defender of labour rights. This pioneering dual identity allowed the Histadrut to protect working people while actively guaranteeing the economic stability and social resilience of the developing workforce. Embracing its evolving responsibility to the diverse local workforce, the Histadrut opened its doors to the Arab population and all workers in Israel, offering union protection in 1953 and granting full, equal membership by 1960. This pivotal expansion transformed the Histadrut into a truly universal shield dedicated to protecting the rights and raising the standards of all workers throughout Israel, irrespective of creed, race, or nationality.

As the decades advanced and Israel’s economy matured into a modern market system, the demands on the movement evolved. Recognising the need to realign with its core purpose, the Histadrut underwent a profound structural transformation in the late 20th century. The Histadrut systematically divested from its manufacturing companies, financial institutions, and massive economic enterprises. This step allowed the Histadrut to shed the complexities of being a massive employer and return completely to its true heart. Today, having streamlined its focus, the Histadrut stands proudly as Israel's premier, dedicated trade union organisation, fully mobilised to defend worker rights, champion social justice, advance equal opportunities, and protect the livelihoods of the modern Israeli workforce.

When we say we are a proud Zionist labour organisation, it is because, since the very beginning of our operations, our foundational ethos has been to unify working people in Israel under a cooperative umbrella that works for the greater good. For us, Zionism was never just about building a country; it was about building a society that respects and protects workers. By fusing the pioneering Zionist dream with a fierce commitment to mutual aid and solidarity, the Histadrut ensured that the monumental task of developing the nation’s infrastructure was always centred around the human element, guaranteeing that the welfare of the workers was established and fiercely protected, both inside the workplace and out in the community.

Histadrut democratic institutes

Histadrut chairman

Elected every 5 years by all members in national direct elections
Histadrut leadership

13–45 members, appointed by Chairman & approved by House, handles daily operations
House of representatives

171 delegates, elected every 5 years, authority over all actions & constitution
General convention

Supreme elected Institution, 2001 delegates, sets goals & elects House of Representatives

Chairman

Arnon Bar-David

"We will continue to fight fiercely on behalf of disadvantaged communities and the minorities whose voices are left unheard. We will champion gender equality in the workplace and shatter corporate glass ceilings. Our mission is to close social gaps, protect retirees whose pensions have eroded, care for the elderly, support working mothers, and look out for working people everywhere."

The Chairman of the Histadrut, Arnon Bar-David, assumed the position following a House of Representatives extraordinary election in March 2019, following the early departure of the former Chairman, Avi Nissenkorn.
Bar-David was reelected in May 2022 in national Histadrut elections.

Bar-David’s biography

Bar-David is the 15th chairman of the Histadrut, and in recent decades, he has played a leading role in managing social struggles and promoting the status of organised labour in Israel.

He has served as the Chairman of the Histadrut since March 2019. In this role, he leads the national federation's executive leadership, steering its strategic operations and representing the organisation before its elected representative body, the House of Representatives (Beit HaNivcharim). He also serves as the Chairman of Hevrat HaOvdim (The Society of Workers), the economic and cooperative arm of the labour federation.

As the 15th Chairman of the Histadrut, Bar-David has spent the last few decades playing a pivotal role in leading social struggles and championing the power of organised labour in Israel. From 2006 to 2019, he served as Chairman of UCAPSE - the Union of Clerical, Administrative, and Public Service Employees, the largest trade union operating under the Histadrut umbrella. During this tenure, he secured a series of groundbreaking collective bargaining agreements, significantly improving the working conditions, wages, and social rights of hundreds of thousands of public and private-sector employees nationwide. Prior to that, he served for over a decade as Chairman of the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipal Workers’ Union.

Following his election as national Chairman, Bar-David pledged to elevate workplace service standards and reinforce the Histadrut’s status as a welcoming home for all workers in Israel.

Born in 1957, Bar-David lives in Kiryat Ono. He is married to Hila, a father of six, and a grandfather of seven. In his earlier civic career, he served as a national coordinator for the Hebrew Scouts Movement (Tzofim) and as a department manager within the Education Administration of the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality.