Labor dispute at First International Bank intensifies as employees cut contact
Following the management's decision to reassign IT staff to branches and alter remote work policies, the workers' committee has announced an escalation of industrial action. Measures include freezing activity in the Jira task management system and halting all non-essential corporate communication.
The conflict between the management of the First International Bank group and the employees of Mataf, the bank's computing and technology arm employing approximately 500 people, is escalating. The workers' committee, supported by the Histadrut HaMaof, announced an expansion of industrial action following the breakdown of negotiations to renew the collective agreement last week.
The current trigger for the escalation is the management's decision to begin assigning employees to bank branches, replacing the previous work format. The workers' committee claims that management is attempting to create a divide between direct Mataf employees and external or project-based workers, who have been permitted to retain a two-day-a-week remote work schedule.
According to new guidelines distributed by the committee, measures include refusing to register for remote work at branches and avoiding attendance, alongside a complete freeze of updates in the Jira task management system—including the creation, updating, or cancellation of tasks, as well as file uploads and link access.
Furthermore, employees will cease all correspondence in corporate WhatsApp and Telegram groups outside of official working hours. The committee clarified that any attempt to exert pressure on participating employees will be addressed immediately.
Workers' committee chairman Dudu Dahan stated:
"Whoever tries to implement a policy of divide and conquer will meet with total failure. We will not allow harm to employees and will not agree to unilateral changes made contrary to agreements. Mataf employees have proven their professionalism and dedication over the years, and we will continue to stand up for their rights with determination and responsibility."
These measures follow an unusual incident at the bank's headquarters on Rothschild Boulevard in Tel Aviv. After negotiations broke down, committee representatives attempted to enter a board of directors meeting to present their position. The committee alleged that the board intervened in negotiations by demanding a reduction in existing rights, including work-from-home days, and claimed that police were called to the scene to remove them.
