After months of sanctions and cancellations of hundreds of flights, the Pilots’ Committee (ECA) today signed a new wage agreement with the management of El Al – and now the disruptions in the flight schedule are expected to end.
The agreement was approved by the company’s board of directors, the pilots ‘committee and the new workers’ union. Following the agreement, the pilots are expected to return to the salary they had before the Corona period. Even after cutting their salaries and worsening their conditions – El Al pilots received relatively high salaries for the economy even before the agreement, between NIS 20,000 and NIS 50,000 a month per captain.
According to the agreement, which is valid until the end of 2025, the pilots’ salaries will be returned in stages until the beginning of 2023 to their level before the Corona crisis, in accordance with the agreement from 2018. In addition, in a report to the stock exchange, the company wrote that The parties agreed, among other things, on streamlining measures that include changes in the way pilots operate 777 aircraft, wet leases of passenger aircraft and additional cargo, a mechanism for hedging the budget framework for the cost of pilots’ wages and regulating simulator training in Israel.
In exchange for the streamlining measures agreed upon, an outline for a return to payroll and ESL was agreed upon in accordance with the 2018 agreement on the dates set in the agreement. Industrial and compliance with the flight schedule as planned, during the agreement period until December 31, 2025. “
About a month ago, after an explosion in negotiations, the company’s management applied to the Labor Court for a restraining order against the pilots’ sanctions and to require them to maintain the flight schedule in order. The court refused to grant restraining orders, but required the pilots to keep the flight schedule in order. Despite this – the flights continued to be canceled.
The sanctions against El Al employees have been going on for several weeks, and these reached a temporary peak on Independence Day, when the company’s employees prevented it from participating in the civilian flight of the holiday. Those who then prevented the company from participating in the flights were the maintenance workers, who did so in protest of the cancellations of the flights due to the pilots’ sanctions, and these claimed that “this is a step of solidarity with the passengers whose flights were canceled”. Another protest move was made on the day of the entry of the company’s new CEO, Dina Ben-Tal Genensia, when six flights were canceled on that day.
El Al CEO Dina Ben-Tal: “With the signing of the agreement, we turned forward to dealing with the joint forces of all sectors in El Al and together we will face the difficulties and global competition in the aviation and tourism industry.”
Chairman of the El Al Pilots Committee, Ran Alkabetz: “After two difficult and complex years, El Al pilots welcome the signing of an employment agreement that returns the company and its pilots to a normal working relationship, trust and full cooperation for the benefit of the company, its customers and employees. We would like to thank the controlling shareholders and the new management, led by CEO Dina Ben-Tal, for choosing to end the disputes amicably, while balancing mutual interests and creating a stable and efficient infrastructure for the broad operational flexibility required to strengthen and grow the company.