The Clalit Health Fund announced Thursday that it would put plans to fire 1,000 workers on hold. The announcement followed workers' threats to strike if the plan were to be put into action.
Approximately 30,000 workers began to strike on Thursday morning, but suspended their strike after union leaders and Clalit management reached an agreement. The strike would have closed the health fund's clinics nationwide and reduced staff at major hospitals.
Prior to agreeing to freeze the layoffs, the Clalit management took its case to the National Labor Court, which convened on Thursday morning to deliberate on the management's appeal for a back-to-work order. The court decided against issuing such an order.
Senior Clalit managers explained that the company could not afford to keep all of its workers due to an agreement that will raise public-sector salaries this year. The health fund is also facing revenue losses.
Union head Prosper Ben-Hamu said firing workers would hurt Clalit patients. “There won't be enough nurses and doctors in the hospitals; it would be a very hard blow,” he said.