50 Palestinian workers in a food plant in Atarot Industrial Zone go on strike

The workers at R. S. Marketing and Food Production (also known as Rejwan) joined the trade union WAC- MAAN last September and they seek to negotiate a collective agreement guaranteeing a raise in salary and improved working conditions

With the support and leadership of WAC-MAAN, the workers—all citizens of the Palestinian Authority—started a two-day strike on Monday, November 25. They are protesting against management’s refusal to recognize WAC-MAAN (henceforth WAC) as their representative union, as well as its refusal to negotiate a collective agreement with WAC and their representatives. Already in mid-September, WAC notified management that 46 of the plant’s 50 workers had joined it, thus making it the representative organization according to law. Nevertheless, management stands by its refusals.   

At the start of November, WAC proclaimed a labor dispute and informed management that the workers would strike. Prior to the strike, WAC notified management that the strike would be meant as a warning, that it would last two days, and that on November 27 the workers would return to their jobs in good order. WAC made it clear that the workers prefer the path of negotiation, and that as soon as Rejwan announces recognition of WAC and begins the talks, all steps against it would be stopped.

The strike came after a meeting between the representatives of management and the workers on November 19, did not result in an agreement. The company’s lawyers presented in the meeting their reasons for refusing to recognize WAC and although these explanations seemed baseless, WAC and the workers decided to give the plant until November 24. In the absence of any progress, however, the workers and the union had no choice but to proclaim a strike.

Salaries at Rejwan are low, the monthly average for a 208 hours of work is about NIS 4000 (close to NIS 20 per hour – while the minimum wage in Israel is NIS 29.12 per hour). There is a very little compensation for travel and the transfer of funds to the pension plan is lower as result of the low wages. The workers also complain about lack of transparency in registering the hours they’ve put in (the registering is done by hand), and they often come across “mistakes” on their pay slips.

A member of the Workers Council, Muhammad Hamudah Abu Nizar, explains: “We demand our right to a salary and fair job conditions according to law. We are convinced that we shall get them through our membership in WAC and through a signed collective agreement. We believe that management’s entry into negotiations with us and WAC will result in a solution to our problems, bringing an advantage not just to us, but also to the production process and to the plant. We are united in our support for WAC, and we’re certain that together we shall get our rights.”

MORE...

The East Jerusalem Project

Hadaya’s case: She had to leave her job for health reasons. With support from MAAN she received all her rights as a laid-off employee

Hadaya, 58, a woman from East Jerusalem, is the sole provider for her family. Her six children depend on her. She did not want to leave her job, but due to her deteriorating health she could not continue working. With the help of MAAN – Workers Association, she received the full severance pay that is due to someone who resigns due to a medical condition, and secured her entitlement to unemployment benefits from day one.

READ MORE »
Palestinian Workers

Instead of Showy Arrests, Let Palestinian Workers Return to Construction

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah, which came into effect on Wednesday, November 27, marks the end of the war in Lebanon. If it holds, a period of reconstruction will begin, bringing a dramatic increase in the need for workers in the construction sector. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Palestinians are waiting for the government to allow them back into construction sites in Israel. Thousands of contractors are also desperate for skilled labor, reporting that the foreign workers they have managed to recruit are too few and insufficiently trained.

READ MORE »
Uncategorized

New Beekeepers Receive their Diploma and Join the “Bees for Peace” Family

The smiles on the faces of the 17 graduates of the beekeeping course were uplifting. The buzz in the room even resembled the hum of a beehive. Since the course ended in June, these women have been busy maintaining the beehive each received for her home. The certificate ceremony took place on September 9 at the “MAAN Workers’ Association branch in Baqa al-Gharbiya, attended by course graduates, the project’s leading team, and members of the MAAN’s women’s forum.

READ MORE »

אנא כתבו את שמכם המלא, טלפון ותיאור קצר של נושא הפנייה, ונציג\ה של מען יחזרו אליכם בהקדם האפשרי.

رجاءً اكتبوا اسمكم الكامل، الهاتف، ووصف قصير حول موضوع توجهكم، ومندوب عن نقابة معًا سيعاود الاتصال بكم لاحقًا








As an organization committed to the rights of workers without distinction of religion, race, nationality, gender, or profession - democracy is our essence. We strongly oppose the authoritarian laws that the extreme government of Netanyahu, Lapid, Bennett, and Smotrich is attempting to impose.

Without democracy, there are no workers' rights, just as a workers' organization cannot exist under dictatorship.

only a victory of the democratic camp will enable a discussion on the Palestinian issue and lead to an alternative solution to occupation and apartheid while ensuring human rights and citizenship for all, Israelis and Palestinians alike. As long as the apartheid regime persists, the democratic camp will not succeed in defeating Israeli extremists. Therefore, we work to involve the Arab and Palestinian society in the protest.

We invite you:

To march with us in protests and to build an alternative, democratic, Jewish-Arab professional union in Israel. Join our quiet WhatsApp group today, "Marching with us in protest."

To join MAAN and unite workers in your workplace. Read here how to join the organization.

To follow MAAN's work on social networks.

Please write your full name, phone number, and a brief description of the subject of your inquiry, and a representative from our organization will get back to you as soon as possible.