Ahead of the holidays: thousands of workers in the Negev may be laid off

The Rotem Amfert plant, controlled by the ICL group, is at a crossroads: the hearing on appeals regarding the expansion of the phosphogypsum reservoir is scheduled for the second half of October. Against the backdrop of workers' fears of a shutdown and a wave of layoffs, lies the activity of one of the oldest chemical corporations in the south, which serves as a significant employer in the region but also faces complex environmental and regulatory challenges.

Rotem Amfert Negev operates in the Mishor Rotem industrial zone as part of the ICL group, controlled by businessman Idan Ofer. The plant mines phosphates and refines them for the production of fertilizers and chemical substances. Despite its central role as a strategic employer, the plant's activities involve significant environmental impact, leading to its inclusion on the Ministry of Environmental Protection's "red list" in previous years.

Now, thousands of employees will enter the autumn holiday period in a state of acute employment uncertainty. The chairman of the subcommittee for appeals of the National Planning and Building Council has determined that the decisive discussion on the future of the plant's operational storage solution will take place in the second half of October. To prevent further delays, the chairman ordered two consecutive days to be reserved to complete the procedure.

At the center of the dispute is a plan approved by the Southern District Committee, which allows the plant to utilize "Pool 4" as an interim solution for storing phosphogypsum ahead of the capacity exhaustion in "Pool 5" at the beginning of 2027. Without timely approval for "Pool 4," the plant faces severe damage to operational continuity, potentially leading to a shutdown of production lines.

The investment plan for "Pool 4" was developed over five years, during which the company reached agreements with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Water Authority, the Nature and Parks Authority, and the Tamar Regional Council. However, a petition to the Be'er Sheva District Court resulted in the appeals being transferred to the National Council in Jerusalem.

Moshe Hadad, chairman of the Rotem workers' committee, stated:

"For us, these are not legal concepts, this is our future. Thousands of families in the Negev have been left without alternatives and are again approaching the holidays in unbearable uncertainty. The plan was already approved after a lengthy process, and even the court recognized that a shutdown would immediately harm exports and thousands of jobs. We demand that the state reach a quick decision and not abandon the workers."