Exacerbates the struggle of workers Arkia In front of the company’s management: Along with the demand of Arkia employees from the company’s management to provide data that reflects the significance of the merger examined with EL AL And the cessation of flights on Saturdays and holidays, the employees filed a lawsuit against the company, the chairman and CEO Gadi Tepper and the CEO of the group Tap In Israel, Avi Hurmero claimed that the company’s decision-makers acted against the benefit of the company and its employees and in the interests of the controlling shareholder.
Arkia employees are affiliated with the Organization of Tourism (Aviation and Aviation) and hold 30% of the company’s shares. The remaining 70% are owned by the Nakash brothers. In recent months, Arkia has been in talks to merge with El Al, to which it aspires. The merger procedure is at the stage of due diligence from the direction of EL AL. At this point employees are opposed to a merger whose approval requires the consent of 75% of shareholders. Arkia employs about 350 workers.
In a lawsuit filed this week through attorneys Guy Gissin, Yael Hershkovitz and Kobi Meshi of Gissin & Co., management officials make allegations of conduct that does not take into account the company’s benefit but its controlling shareholders and as incompatible with the company’s crisis, similar to other airlines. The corona.
The allegations include non-collection of a debt of $ 2 million from the controlling shareholder to the company, along with claims that the controlling shareholders enjoyed “services and benefits in personal matters and / or private needs that were not reported or recorded in the company’s books.”
The main argument that emerges from the lawsuit concerns the making of decisions regarding the lease of aircraft. It was alleged that the company sought to increase its aircraft fleet ahead of Passover and the summer season which are characterized by high demand for flights. In light of this, an agreement was reached for the lease of two Airbus A321 aircraft from Gulf Air, owned by CDB Bank, “on very favorable terms”, which were even defined as a “rare deal” made possible following the timing of the global aviation crisis.
However, the chairman of the company’s board of directors allegedly prevented the deal from maturing and instead a deal was promoted for the purchase of a plane owned by the controlling shareholders, the Nakash brothers, who also own a company that leases planes. In exchange for $ 55 million.
The workers claim that they discovered this intention following Arkia’s management’s request to the Treasury to approve the deal. The claim is that their demand for information about the said events was denied time and time again and hence an appeal to a court of law.