Workers at Teva Pharmaceuticals, Kfar Saba factory will benefit from increased wages and working conditions thanks to a new collective agreement signed last week between the Histadrut, the factory workers union, and the factory management. These agreements will apply to about 1,000 factory employees, offering salary increases, defined break times based on different shifts, and professional training for packaging workers.
“Teva is a flagship company in its field, and during these challenging times, it is encouraging to see an international company founded in Israel take meaningful steps for its employees,” Histadrut Chair Arnon Bar-David said. “I want to thank everyone involved in forming this agreement. The Histadrut will continue to stand firm for workers and ensure the resilience of Israel's economy.”
The agreement covers all factory employees hired as company staff through September 2023. These employees will receive a 3% salary increase, paid retroactively beginning with the April 2024 paycheck. Additionally, a shift compensation payment of 35% of the monthly average for additional shifts will be provided to employees who worked shifts for at least five consecutive years and then moved to a daytime role.
The agreements also define rest, refreshment, and meal breaks according to different shifts. Scheduled breaks will be established for morning, evening, and night shifts (including Saturday nights) and Fridays, with flexibility based on operational needs. Eligible employees will receive an additional 0.8% salary increase starting in the December 2024 paycheck.
Moreover, the end-of-line packer and recorder roles will be merged into a single operator position. Operators will undergo training for all required tasks and receive a salary increase of 340 shekels ($95) per month, effective from the April 2025 paycheck.
“Negotiating and signing a new agreement during a prolonged conflict is a challenging and complex goal,” Yaniv Malchi, chair of the factory workers union, said. “Just as the site’s employees committed to work during this difficult period, I am proud that we managed to sign an excellent agreement reflecting their dedication and hard work.”
Eliezer Belo, chair of the Histadrut’s overarching Food and Pharmaceutical Workers Union, also praised the deal. “I am pleased we reached agreements on three main topics: salary increases, productivity improvements, and professional training for packaging workers, with the hope that the factory will move toward new horizons,” he said.
Teva Israel’s vice president of human resources, Tami Rozilio, said that the company supports the agreements. “I want to thank the negotiation teams—management of the Kfar Saba factory, the Teva Kfar Saba workers union, and Histadrut representatives, for finding creative solutions and responsibly reaching a balanced agreement during a very complex time,” she said.
This article was translated from Hebrew by Ronen Cohen.
