It has been revealed that there was an agreement between Gila Adrai, former head of the railway workers’ committee, and the company’s management for her to become the deputy director of the fuel department in the company. As part of the agreement, she will not run in the elections for the Workers’ Committee. The agreement was approved by the Histadrut and the Commissioner of Wages at the Treasury. This agreement allowed Adrai to advance to another position and finish her term in the committee but sparked criticism from railway workers who believe she took advantage of her position to benefit herself personally. Adrai announced her retirement after the signing of the collective agreement, which concluded a four-year negotiation period between the Histadrut, railway management, and wage commissioner. The signing included a horizontal wage increase for around 3,700 employees, the promotion of the electrification project, and the regulation of various issues. Adrai is a well-known leader in the public sector and served as head of the Israel Railways employees’ committee for two terms, with the first beginning in 2010.
Globes has learned that behind the circumstances of Gila Adrai’s departure from the position of chairman of the railway workers’ committee is an agreement between her and the company’s management to accept the position of deputy director of the fuel department in the company. the Workers’ Committee and you will not run in the elections to the Workers’ Committee. The agreement was approved by the Histadrut and by the Commissioner of Wages at the Treasury.
The conclusion is intended to allow Adri to advance to another position and finish her term in the committee, this alongside a promise on her part, according to which she will not be able to run in the elections for its chairmanship as long as she is in the company. However, the binding and interweaving of the things in each other is at least puzzling. Among the railway workers, there are many who criticized Adrai’s retirement alongside his acceptance of the position – and now we are announcing that the things were indeed connected to each other.
Some claim that Adri, who is known as a prominent and committed worker leader, took advantage of her position to reach a “deal” that would benefit her personally, especially when the agreement in front of her was concluded directly with the railway management with the signing of the collective agreement early last month. The agreements concluded a tumultuous period of several years during which Adrei waged a struggle against the management in the negotiations over the collective agreement, which resulted in various petitions to the labor courts.
Adrai’s associates said in response: “Gossip by anonymous parties is not worthy of consideration. Those who have always defamed, will continue to defame. Not interesting.”
announced her retirement after signing the collective agreement
The negotiations for a collective agreement lasted more than four years between the Histadrut, the railway management and the wage commissioner. As part of the agreement, according to the Histadrut announcement, approximately 3,700 of the employees will receive a horizontal wage increase, in addition to the promotion of the electrification project, a mechanism for occupational security until 2039 and the regulation of a series of other issues. The signing was held at the beginning of February in the presence of Minister of Transportation Miri Regev, Chairman of the Histadrut Arnon Bar-David, Minister in charge of wages in the Ministry of Finance Efi Malkin, Chairman of Israel Railways Moshe Shimoni, CEO of Israel Railways Micha Meixner and Chairman of the Board The workers, Gila Adrai found out.
Yesterday Adrai informed the employees of her retirement. “After so many years on the committee, in 2 difficult and stormy terms, but only after I knew how to lead to the best achievements and agreements for youn, I am putting down the keys and walking towards my next professional goal as Deputy Director of the Fuel and Energy Division. After 35 years as a railway employee, Apparently my time has also come,” Adrei wrote to the employees. She also wrote that “all the attempts to hurt me, by the powerful people in Israel and those who do their bidding, were made to hurt you. And only because they realized that I knew more. This is the strength I have always had and it is perceived by them as threatening. This is the only reason they made me a target, tried to silence me, break me. But the belief in the righteousness of the way, in organized work and my commitment to you won even the darkest days and nights. The love and support I received from you and also from employees from other workplaces was always a source of pride for me, the wind under my wings.”
She also wrote to the employees that “I was never interested in being a ‘crowd favorite’ or pleasing anyone. I was only interested in being the chairman of the best committee for female and male railway workers, and that’s what I did. And I never did it alone, I had supervision from above and over the years committee members stood by me in all sectors, in the north and in the south. And I can tell youn today that we fought for youn, all the time and with all our strength and this is also my opportunity to thank them for years of hard work, for standing together, in every challenge, and for the joint achievements.”
Adrai is one of the most prominent and influential employee leaders in the public sector, as the two terms she served as the head of the Israel Railways employees’ committee were stormy. Her first term began in 2010 and for two years until she was dismissed by the Histadrut and in September 2017 she was re-elected to the position, after the elections were determined following her appeal to the Labor Court.
Israel Railways stated: “Israel Railways does not refer to matters related to its employees in the media.”