Title of the event:
International Conference on "Organizing of Employees in Israel and Around the
World – Trends, Challenges and Successes"
Description of the event:
On October 2, as an opening to the Israeli WDDW activities the Histadrut, together
with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation-Israel Office held a daylong conference on the
topic of organizing – the best guarantee of decent work!
This conference comes at a time when the topic of organized labour is at the forefront
of the Israeli social agenda and many new sectors have already been organized.
The event was divided into three sessions:
1) Trends, challenges and successes of organizing of employees around the world
2) Organizing of employees in Israel – the legal prism
3) Challenges and successes of organizing of employees in new sectors in Israel
All three sessions highlighted the importance of organized labour as a basis for decent
work and the fight of unions in Israel and around the world especially in organizing
new sectors.
Three case studies of successful organizing campaigns were presented: Heipha-a
German pharmaceutical company owned by Merck KGaA, Pelephone – an Israeli
cellular company and Burger Ranch – an Israeli fast food chain. These case studies
were a particularly important part of the conference as they were represented by the
people who themselves spearheaded the fight for the rights of the workers in these
companies and in the case of Israel, directly benefited from the resulting collective
agreement which guaranteed them and their colleagues decent work.
Furthermore, it is noteworthy to mention that in the framework of the Pelephone
struggle, a precedent setting ruling regarding the right of association in Israel was
attained (please see the attached document).
Expected number of participants:
The event was attended by 170 people.
Histadrut-General Federation of Labour in Israel
Avital Shapira-Shabirow
Director of International Department