The Histadrut has declared a work dispute at Maariv. After a meeting Sunday, workers were informed that new owners who are seeking to buy the paper were considering letting go all but 400 of the paper's 2,000 workers.

The sale of the paper to Shlomo Ben-Zvi is close to completion, sources at the paper said, although it has not been finalized. Ben-Zvi, publisher of right-wing newspaper Makor Rishon, is set to buy Maariv for NIS 85 million, the report said.