Bank Hapoalim Workers Committee Chief Roni Garfinkel Steps Down
Bank Hapoalim workers' committee chairman Roni Garfinkel is stepping down amid a protracted labor dispute and internal union friction over a planned efficiency program.
Roni Garfinkel, chairman of the Bank Hapoalim workers' committee, is stepping down from his post amid a labor dispute that has lasted for over a year. Garfinkel announced his departure, stating that he is embarking on a new path while wishing success to the bank, the employees, and himself.
At this stage, the exact circumstances surrounding the departure of Garfinkel, who has served in the role since July 2019, remain unclear. It has not been confirmed whether the decision was voluntary or the result of internal friction within the labor organization. The labor dispute centers around a structural efficiency program announced by the bank in December 2024, a few months after Yadin Antebi assumed the role of chief executive officer.
Under the proposed efficiency plan, the bank intends to gradually eliminate 770 positions over a four-year period, a move projected to generate annual savings of approximately 300 million shekels. The workers' committee fiercely opposed the initiative, arguing that it would severely increase workloads, harm employment conditions, and lead to forced employee transfers.
In September 2025, backed by the Histadrut labor federation, the committee declared an official labor dispute, subsequently initiating a series of sanctions and strikes. The committee demanded firm guarantees that any staff departures would be strictly voluntary, alongside immediate measures to alleviate mounting workloads.
In recent weeks, reports emerged regarding an escalating internal power struggle within the workers' committee itself. Several members of the national council appealed to the organization's audit committee, demanding an urgent special session to discuss Garfinkel's dismissal over alleged failures in managing the labor dispute.
