Bnei Brak Municipality Faces Labor Dispute Over Budget Cuts

A severe internal labor dispute is shaking the Bnei Brak Municipality, threatening to escalate into a formal conflict during the holiday season. The municipality's Human Resources department issued dramatic directives to thousands of employees, drastically altering their employment terms. These changes stem from stringent efficiency demands and budget cuts imposed by the Ministry of Interior.

Key new regulations include a severe restriction on overtime hours to a maximum of three per day, requiring prior approval for any overtime work. The possibility of working on Fridays has been almost entirely frozen, and unprecedented controls have been placed on attendance reporting and manual clocking in and out.

Municipal officials acknowledge these measures will significantly impact field workers and junior staff, for whom overtime and Friday work constitute a substantial part of their basic income. In response, the Workers' Committee chairman, Nehemia Shakadi, and acting chairman, Riki Shimel, sent a stern warning letter to the municipality's management.

The committee stated they will not permit the infringement of employees' acquired rights and are prepared to take organizational action and cause immediate disruptions. "We understand the financial challenges facing the authority, but the municipality's employees cannot automatically become the target for cuts every time a deficit arises," the committee declared. "These decrees primarily harm low-wage workers, for whom overtime and Friday work are the economic lifeline that brings food to the table. If the municipality's management continues on this unilateral path without dialogue, we will not hesitate to shut down services and pursue legal action."

Thousands of municipal employees are reportedly furious, feeling a sense of ongoing discrimination. Sources within the municipality noted that the burden falls not on senior officials with high salaries, but on the ordinary workers who diligently perform their duties in all conditions. All eyes are now on the municipality's management to see if they will engage in negotiations to de-escalate the situation or if residents will soon face disrupted municipal services.