Workers at Nestlé’s Osem in Israel demonstrate against the threat of mass dismissal

On 13 March workers at the Nestlé-owned Osem group in Israel, who are unionised in the Histadrut, started demonstrations on the backdrop of the company’s intentions to carry out significant structural changes which will impact workers’ terms and conditions and lead to mass dismissal.

Workers at the company’s Central Logistics Center in Shoham effectively blocked the entrance and exit routes for a few hours preventing distribution trucks from moving products in and out of the center. The union has demanded local management to stop its attack on workers’ terms and conditions and the threat of mass dismissal under the pretext of structural changes.

Over the past few months workers have learned of Osem management’s plans on structural changes which will result in the elimination of the stock assistant role. Osem management have recently dismissed 70 stock assistants, the union fears further mass dismissals as the management carry out further changes.

Management also plans to dismiss approximately 10 regional sales managers, two of which are employee committee members and are currently in the middle of negotiating a first collective agreement.