Histadrut
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| Full name | General Federation of Labour in Israel |
|---|---|
| Native name | HaHistadrut HaKlalit shel HaOvdim B'Eretz Yisrael |
| Founded | 1920 |
| Members | 650,000 |
| Affiliation | ITUC |
| Key people | Avi Nissenkoren, chairperson |
| Office location | Tel Aviv, Israel |
| Country | Israel |
| Website | www.histadrut.org.il |
HaHistadrut HaKlalit shel HaOvdim B'Eretz Yisrael (Hebrew: ההסתדרות הכללית של העובדים בארץ ישראל, lit. "General Organisation of Workers in the Land of Israel"), known as the Histadrut, is Israel's organization of trade unions. Established in December 1920 during the British Mandate for Palestine, it became one of the most powerful institutions of Israel. Histadrut enterprises include: Koor Industries Ltd.,Solel Boneh, and Kupat Holim Clalit.
The Histadrut was founded in December 1920 in Haifa to look out for the interests of Jewish workers. Until 1920, Ahdut HaAvoda and Hapoel Hatzair had been unable to set up a unified workers organisation. In 1920, Third Aliyah immigrants founded Gdud HaAvoda and demanded a unified organization for all Jewish workers, which led to the establishment of the Histadrut. At the end of 1921 David Ben-Gurion was elected as Secretary. Membership grew from 4,400 in 1920 and to 8,394 members in 1922. By 1927, the Histadrut had 25,000 members, accounting for 75% of the Jewish workforce in Mandatory Palestine.
The Histadrut became one of the most powerful institutions in the state of Israel, a mainstay of the Labour Zionist movement and, aside from being a trade union, its state-building role made it the owner of a number of businesses and factories and, for a time, the largest employer in the country. Until Israel began moving away from a socialist economy, the Histadrut, along with the government, owned most of the economy. Through its economic arm, Hevrat HaOvdim ("Society of Workers"), the Histadrut owned and operated a number of enterprises, including the country's largest industrial conglomerates as well as the country's largest bank, Bank Hapoalim. The Israeli services sector was completely dominated by the Histadrut and government, and the Histadrut also largely dominated public transport, agriculture, and insurance industries. One of the most important companies it owned was Clalit Health Services, Israel's largest Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). Clalit was the only HMO to accept people without discrimination based on age or medical situation, and membership in the Histadrut was a precondition for membership with Clalit, meaning that many Israelis were dependent on Histadrut membership for their health insurance.
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