The labor sanctions at Israel Chemicals Ltd. (TASE: ICL) continued today, as the workers committee representatives at the Amfert Rotem Negev unit prevented contract workers from entering the phosphates plant today. The workers committee is protesting the company's emergency plan, which includes 130 layoffs. A company source said, "Cleaning and maintenance workers were taken off the buses by committee representative and not allowed to enter the premises to work. These are outside workers who are not a party to the good labor contract that Amfert Rotem's employees have."
Disruptions also continued at Israel Chemicals' other plants in the south, after the negotiations between Amfert Rotem's workers and management broke down last week. Some employees at the Israel Chemicals Industrial Products LP bromine compounds plant at Ramat Hovav were notified today that they would not receive full pay, after they participated in Sunday's labor disruptions and prevented the delivery of goods from the premises. Letters to the employees stated that anyone participating in the labor disruptions would only be eligible for "reasonable pay", based on the actual work they do. "No work, no pay," was the message.
Industrial Products workers committee chairman Avner Ben-Senor said, "These letters will not deter us from continuing the war for organized labor at Israel Chemicals. It is now completely clear that management is planning mass layoffs at the company. We've been informed that the mass layoffs plan has gotten underway and that it will be carried out at any price."
Israel Chemicals today strongly denied Ben-Senor's allegations, saying that no one in authority had mentioned mass layoffs. As for the labor disruptions, it said, "In view of the situation in the markets where Israel Chemicals operates, the company is thoroughly reviewing ways to increase our competitiveness. This is being carried out with full transparency and with the knowledge and cooperation of the workers committee. No decisions have been made yet."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on January 6, 2014
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