News

In response to the announcement of the Israeli government to close the Israel Broadcast Authority (IBA), UNI Global Union called on the Israeli government to respect public service broadcasting values and workers’ rights.

In a letter to Minister of Communications, Mr. Gilad Erdan UNI Global Union General Secretary, Philip Jennings expressed the grave concern over the government’s plan and its negative impact on the sustainability, independence and quality of public service broadcasting as well as the threat to the dignity and rights of the IBA employees.

The government intends to close the authority, dismiss workers and reopen under a skeleton crew, similar to the Greek ERT situation. The Israel government intends firing all the 2000 employees and reopening with 700 workers without collective agreement.

Further, the government plans to abolish the licence fee and there is no clarity over how the continuity of public service broadcasting during the transition period from the IBA to a new institution can be ensured and that respect the fundamental right of public service broadcasting workers.

UNI Global Union joins Ariel Yacobi, Chair of the Israeli Union of Government Employees and Member of the UNI World Executive Board, Doron Karni National Secretary and Histadrut leadership, Ofer Eini and Avi Nissankoren in calling on the government to abide by international labour laws obligations and workers’ rights.

We stand behind and with our Israeli colleagues in their struggle for sustainable public service broadcasting and maintaining their conditions and calls on the government to re-establish a constructive dialogue with the workers and their union.

Download the statement here: