Smotrich looking for way to sue Histadrut union over strike

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is looking to sue the powerful Histadrut labor federation over economic damage he says was wreaked by last week’s general strike to protest the government’s judicial overhaul.

In a series of tweets, Smotrich confirms reports in Hebrew media about his desire to sue the Histadrut, which represents state workers, and which opened the strike on March 27, calling it off that evening once the government announced it was freezing its legislative blitz.

“The law says that besides not paying the salary of a striking worker, an illegal strike is an unprotected strike and those who start it or take part in it are liable for its effects and must pay for damages caused by it,” he says.

Smotrich urges private citizens to file suit as well and says he has ordered officials to begin crunching numbers to determine a price tag for the strike to facilitate the lawsuit. He also says he has instructed officials to carry out enforcement to ensure no workers who went on strike get paid, potentially squeezing thousands of state employees just in time for the Passover holiday.

The Ynet news site reports that Smotrich has only consulted with a few people within the Finance Ministry about his lawsuit plan, all of whom advised him against it.

Unnamed ministry sources tell the news site that the damage caused by the single-day strike was negligible, and that because the private sector also took part, Smotrich may need to sue Israeli companies he claims to be working to help.