Hot Group announced that it will lay off employees “as part of a structural change”

The management of the Hot group addressed the heads of the committees in the group, in the companies ‘Hot’ and ‘Hot Mobile’, and announced its intention to carry out efficiency layoffs as part of the structural change in the group. The management asked to open the collective agreements, and demanded that the employees give up the wage increases for 2024.

Last week Hot announced its intention to carry out a structural change, within which the company’s activities will be concentrated under two divisions, customers and operations. According to the management, “adjustments will be made to the personnel position at the headquarters level of the group”.

The chairman of Hot Mobile’s workers’ council, Eli Cohen, said yesterday (Wednesday) at a workers’ meeting that he was informed of the company’s intention to fire workers during extended reserve service in the Gaza Strip. On every leave from the army, even a short one, I came to talks on the subject.” In addition to the dismissal of the employees, the management demanded that the company’s employees give up the salary increases, the seniority bonus and part of the welfare budgets agreed upon in the collective agreement, claiming that the company suffered damages during the war.

“As the talks progressed, we realized the source of the problem – the problem is not in Hot Mobile, but in the Hot Group whose revenues have been affected,” said Cohen, adding that over the years, Hot Mobile employees have always been discriminated against on the grounds that the parent company is more profitable. “Suddenly when it is necessary to lay off and cut wages, we are reminded that we are part of the group and we are required to bear the burden.

“Hot Mobile is currently the profitable engine that drives the group. I ask CEO Tal Garnot Goldstein, why do you want to hurt Hot Mobile’s employees and their wages? What legitimacy do you have to open a collective agreement that was just signed and harm the workers who are only giving of themselves so that the locomotive will go faster?”

According to him, although it is clear to the workers’ committee that Hot Mobile is profitable, they offered the management a series of proposals, but the management blew up the negotiations in response to the committee’s opposition to layoffs. “Hot Mobile is a lean company. Look left and right, these could be your friends or you will be fired. And who will do the work of the workers who will be fired? I try to understand the company, but I see no room for firing employees. The situation keeps me awake, both during the fighting and Now that I’ve been released after 160 days, what company makes a move like that while fighting?

“The Workers’ Committee and the Histadrut will fight shoulder to shoulder with you, and we will do everything to take care of the workers – we will fight for every worker and every shekel. We call on the management to return to negotiations and not to take unilateral steps that will resolve the situation.”

At an employee meeting held yesterday by Kafir Almasi, the chairman of the Hoot workers’ committee represented by the National Histadrut, he explained that the collective agreement signed at the company at the end of 2021 allows the management to carry out a limited scope of efficiency layoffs. He added that the television market is currently in upheaval and is facing difficult challenges. According to him, the workers’ committee regulated the retirement conditions of the workers who will leave the company as part of streamlining. In addition, even though the company asked to open the collective agreement, the committee demands that the collective agreement be respected and the workers’ conditions be preserved.

According to the collective agreement signed by the National Histadrut in 2021, the company may terminate the employment of up to 45 employees from Hot Telecom or Hot Services.

Hot Group stated that the company respects and will continue to respect the collective agreements it has signed. “We will continue, as always, to conduct a direct dialogue with the employee representatives and not through the media. As we have updated, the company has carried out a structural change and integration of activities and is making adjustments to the personnel situation to support the change. The company considers employees partners in its success and invests many resources and means in the professional development of the employees and their well-being.” The company claimed that the words of the heads of the committees are not accurate.