Trade Union Friends of Israel

Israeli Industrial News: Nationwide strike threatened if new taxes not repealed
The Histadrut (Israeli TUC) has threatened to call a nationwide government strike at the end of June if a new workers' fund tax is not repealed. The threat was made in response to a new tax plan reveled by Israel’s Finance Minister, Roni Bar-On, which includes a drop in taxes for both companies and individuals to be paid for by the cancellation of tax exemptions on payments to some government employees’ pension funds.

The chairman of the Histadrut, Ofer Eini, said “there should be no connection between tax and reforms; the employees have an agreement with their employers, and the government has no business mixing in... the funds do not affect the top earning classes, but only normal working people - I'm waiting for Bar-On to say he made a mistake”

Following a visit to to Israel and the Palestinian Authority in December 2007 with the Trade Union Friends of Israel Delegation to the region, the BFAWU (Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union) invited to speak at their Annual Conference in Bridlington, Hertzel Yaka, Chairman of the Food and Pharmaceutical Union of the Histadrut (Israeli TUC) and Ibrahim Thweib, General Secretary of the Food Workers Section of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions.

Both delegates addressed the Conference and received a standing ovation. Both gave an overview of their own unions work and both stressed their wish for peace and quiet in the region, brotherhood and understanding, dialogue and activism amongst the unions in the region.