The Histadrut labor federation launched a fresh bid Sunday evening to hold a general strike over the employment status of contract workers, telling the National Labor Court that negotiations between it and the Treasury have reached a dead end.

After receiving the Histadrut’s submission, National Labor Court President Nili Arad called a closed-door meeting for Sunday evening with representatives of the Histadrut, Treasury, Federation of Israeli Economic Organizations and Union of Local Authorities.

Hila's contract workers demonstration, last week in Tel-Aviv (Photo: Hila Union)

The National Labor Court first ordered the sides to conduct negotiations over the status of contract workers after allowing the Histadrut to hold a four-hour strike on November 7. The Histadrut decided to strike after the October release of the government's and neo-liberal Trajtenberg Report "on socioeconomic change" – which legitimized continued public sector contracting and outsourcing.

The Histadrut is demanding the number of contract workers be reduced by moving some of them to direct employment. The Treasury has offered to "improve some labor conditions of contract workers", but rejects discontinuing the use of cleaning and security contract companies altogether.

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             Histadruts request to general strike refused