Rare Israeli Vintage Poster – “Worker and Immigrant: Your Place With Us” – 30th Anniversary of the Hebrew Worker Party

The Histadrut, also known as the “General Organization of Workers in the Land of Israel,” is Israel’s trade union organization. Established in December 1920 during the British Mandate for Palestine, it became one of the most influential institutions in Israel. Histadrut enterprises include Koor Industries Ltd., Solel Boneh, and Kupat Holim Clalit.

The Histadrut was founded in December 1920 in Haifa to advocate for the interests of Jewish workers. Prior to 1920, Ahdut HaAvoda and Hapoel Hatzair had been unable to establish a unified workers’ organization. In 1920, Third Aliyah immigrants founded Gdud HaAvoda and demanded a unified organization for all Jewish workers, leading 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 to 8,394 members in 1922. By 1927, the Histadrut had 25,000 members, representing 75% of the Jewish workforce in Mandatory Palestine.

The Histadrut became one of the most powerful institutions in the state of Israel and a pillar of the Labour Zionist movement. Aside from being a trade union, its role in state-building made it the owner of numerous businesses and factories, making it, for a time, the largest employer in the country. Until Israel began shifting away from a socialist economy, the Histadrut, along with the government, controlled most of the economy. It had a significant presence in the Israeli services sector, public transport, agriculture, insurance industries, and a substantial portion of the industrial sector.

In 1983, membership stood at 1,600,000, including dependents, accounting for over one-third of Israel’s total population and approximately 85% of all wage earners. Approximately 170,000 Histadrut members were Arabs, who were admitted to membership starting in 1959. In 1989, the Histadrut employed around 280,000 workers. However, with the increasing liberalization and deregulation of the Israeli economy since the 1980s, the role and size of the Histadrut have declined, although it still remains a significant force in Israeli society and the nation’s economy.

Following its support of the 2011 Israeli social justice protests, on February 8, 2012, the Histadrut called a general strike in support of lower-paid subcontracted and unorganized workers. They negotiated with both the government and private employers on their behalf, demanding that subcontracted workers be hired directly and offered the same pay and benefits as regular employees. A settlement was announced on Sunday, February 12, which provided some gains for subcontractors, but also imposed a 3-year moratorium on further strikes related to subcontractor issues. This period in history is often associated with social realism.