Labor Dispute at Bank Hapoalim Escalates: 8,000 Employees Launch Regional Strikes in Israel

The labor dispute at Bank Hapoalim intensified today (Monday) as the bank’s workers’ organization announced a new wave of industrial action. Beginning tomorrow (Tuesday) and continuing indefinitely, 8,000 employees will hold regional strikes, with a different part of the country affected each day.

On Monday, operations at all central region branches — including Tel Aviv, Ono Valley, Ramat Gan, Givatayim, and Petah Tikva — were suspended. The financial markets division and national call center were also shut down, marking a major escalation in the ongoing dispute between employees and management.

The workers’ organization accuses the bank’s leadership of pursuing unilateral cost-cutting measures despite record profits in recent years. According to the union, the plan includes eliminating approximately 770 positions through attrition and job consolidation, and forcibly relocating hundreds of employees, steps they say would harm wages, working conditions, and promotion opportunities.

Union Slams Management

Roni Garfunkel, Chairman of the Bank Hapoalim Workers’ Organization, sharply criticized CEO Yadin Antebi, saying:

“Antebi has forgotten that he is no longer a treasurer’s boy looking only for budget cuts, but the CEO of a vital organization serving millions of customers. Instead of showing managerial responsibility and organizational vision, he is promoting forceful, unilateral steps that serve only the bottom line — at the expense of employees and customers.”

The union further claims that management’s restructuring plan comes at a time when employees are already facing unprecedented workloads due to previous rounds of cutbacks and workforce changes.

Bank Hapoalim, Israel’s largest bank, has reported record profits in recent years amid rising interest rates and strong performance in the domestic market. The workers’ organization has warned that continued unilateral actions by management could disrupt customer services nationwide if negotiations do not resume soon.

As of now, the bank’s management has not responded publicly to the escalation.