Protesters accuse Histadrut of misusing worker funds on PR campaign

Demonstrations against Israel’s Histadrut labour federation have intensified in recent days, with activists protesting against the organisation’s management and its chairman, Arnon Bar-David. The protests have featured symbolic displays and placards outside the Histadrut’s headquarters in Tel Aviv, raising concerns about how the federation operates and where member contributions are being spent.

Yesterday, protesters erected a striking display outside the building featuring the phrase “letting the cat guard the cream” alongside an illustration of a cat, with cream containers scattered on the ground outside. According to the demonstrators, this visual metaphor was designed to highlight what they claim are significant increases in the Histadrut’s advertising and public relations budget over recent months.

The activists argue that funds collected from workers are being diverted away from essential services and worker representation, instead being spent on what they describe as an image-rehabilitation campaign for the federation’s leadership. This criticism touches on broader concerns about transparency and accountability within one of Israel’s most powerful labour organisations, which represents hundreds of thousands of workers across the country and plays a significant role in wage negotiations and workplace standards.

Source: Walla News — Original article in Hebrew.