Rafa Pharmaceutical Workers Strike Over Low IPO Bonus Amid Staffing Shortages

Employees of Rafa, a pharmaceutical manufacturer owned by the FIMI fund, are striking to demand higher bonuses reflecting their role in improving the company and leading it to a stock exchange listing. The strike began after a labor dispute was declared two weeks ago with the support of the Histadrut labor federation. Out of Rafa's 260 employees, 200 are unionized. The company is managed by Ido Leshem, with Uri Yehudai serving as chairman. In July, Rafa went public with a valuation of 1.65 billion shekels, and FIMI along with other shareholders sold shares worth approximately 600 million shekels.

Dalit Haikushler, chair of the workers' committee, stated that Rafa's management offered a one-time bonus of 2,000 shekels per employee, but the workers are demanding a higher bonus proportional to their years of service. She also highlighted significant staffing shortages, forcing current employees to work many extra hours. Workers only learned about the IPO through the media and requested negotiations afterward. Haikushler noted that management initially claimed Rafa was unprofitable, but the prospectus revealed the company had paid hundreds of millions in dividends and managers received bonuses. She emphasized that employees are fully part of the company's success. Rafa's official response is pending.