Defeat for the Histadrut • Court: Political strike, stop it

September 2, 2024   

Protest failure: The Labor Court in Bat Yam issued an injunction on Monday afternoon against a strike in the economy that was declared by Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar-David - and stated: "The strike is political, it will end at 2:30 PM." The court's decision stated: "We are dealing with a political strike. We did not find any economic argument in the declaration of the strike. The arguments of the Histadrut's attorney before us regarding the economic aspect were not convincing, as the connection between the killing of hostages by wrongdoers and the economic aspect of the economy was not clarified." The defeated Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar-David announced following the decision: "We live in a state of law and respect the court's decision, so I instruct everyone to return to work at 2:30 PM. It is important to emphasize that the solidarity strike was an important move and I stand behind it." Finance Minister Smotrich after the court ruling: "Israeli workers who showed up to work today in droves proved that the days of the red book that enslaves workers for political needs are over. The Israeli economy cannot be harmed and thereby serve the interests of Sinwar and Hamas!" Attorney Ilan Bombach, who represented the 'Heroism Forum' at the hearing, said on 'Kol Berama': "The court accepted our claims and determined that this was a political strike. This has social and tortious significance. We insisted on a ruling in principle, and not agreements on the end of the strike." Earlier, the Histadrut announced, during the hearing at the Labor Court, that the strike in the economy would end at 6:00 PM. Initially, the Histadrut representative announced at the hearing that the strike was expected to end tomorrow at 6:00 AM. However, in order to soften the court's position so that it would not rule against the strike, he announced that the organization "is prepared for the strike to end today at 6:00 PM." The court sent the parties - the Histadrut and the Finance Ministry - to reach a compromise regarding shortening the strike even before 6:00 PM. According to a report by Amit Segal, Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar David proposed a compromise to end the strike at 2:00 PM without a ruling, but Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich refused and insisted on a ruling in principle. The Histadrut wanted to avoid this, so that it would not constitute an obstacle for them in future protests. The Histadrut's proposal to end the strike at 6:00 PM was a dramatic change of direction, as the Histadrut's original plan was to pull the strike, which failed in the face of opposition from many local authorities and government bodies - at least until tomorrow.

To sum up the event, Bar David also ate the stinking fish, was both punished and expelled from the city.

He also burned the remnants of his image and emerged as a petty politician who does not represent the workers. He also crushed his power when he failed to impose a full strike, and was also humiliated in the court that stopped the strike and ruled that it was political.

— Avraham Greenzig (@avigrin10) September 2, 2024

Attorney Ilan Bombach, who represents the 'Heroism Forum' in the Labor Court hearing against the strike, said: "I am receiving more and more messages from patients who were injured in the fighting in Gaza and are not receiving treatment today following the Histadrut's reckless strike. Not in physiotherapy, not in therapy, not in pain clinics, not in regular clinics. This is unbelievable." Earlier today, the State Attorney's Office filed an urgent request with the Labor Court to issue a restraining order against the political strike that Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar David announced yesterday. The request submitted by the Attorney General's Office on behalf of the Ministry of Finance reads: "At the request of the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister, the Honorable Court is hereby requested to issue an urgent temporary and/or interim relief that will determine that the sudden strike declared by the Chairman of the Histadrut, Mr. Arnon Bar-David, regarding all state employees, is not a strike for the purposes of a collective labor dispute and as such is a political strike, and orders that this strike be avoided." The state's request further reads: "In the position of the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister," this is a strike that is "political, one whose political goals were not only not denied, but were openly declared. Therefore, it should not be permitted to have any lofty goals." The strike failed before it even began, as most local authorities do not strike. Activity at Ben Gurion Airport proceeded almost as usual.  

Arnon Bar David is furious with Pinchas Idan who broke the strike at Ben Gurion Airport and is supposed to arrive at the airport. A senior official at the Airports Authority tells me that they are "struggling to get every flight out on time because Bar David's move is a bully." pic.twitter.com/ItTKqY1SOT

— Yaki Adamker (@YakiAdamker) September 2, 2024