Hans Böckler Foundation (HBS) Online Seminar

Corona, Economy, Unions: The Effects of the Pandemic on Israel

 

For our partners from the Hans Böckler Foundation, we hosted and organized an online seminar titled “Corona, Economy, Unions: The Effects of the Pandemic on Israel”. Usually we would have hosted the annual study trip of the Hans Böckler Foundation, which of course had to be cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Hence, in order to stay in touch with our partners and learn about the current situation, we organized a digital alternative. The first part was an overview given by Tobias Pietsch, WBC’s Project Manager, on the general situation in Israel which these days is affected by by the Corona-crisis, the protest against the government and Prime Minister Netanyahu, as well as the normalization agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

During the second part, the 65 participants had the chance to discuss with the panelists and ask their questions. Dr. Roby Nathanson, CEO of MACRO – The Center for Political Economics, criticized the government for not including economic measures in its crisis management, and provided detailed data on how the pandemic is affecting Israel’s economy and labor market. Bernhard Schulz, Head of Labor and Social Affairs at the German Embassy Tel Aviv, explained his perspective on the crisis management and how it effects his personal and professional life. Peter Lerner, Head of the International Relations Division of the Histadrut, highlighted the import role of unions in this crisis. He described how the Histadrut managed to save jobs and ensured safety and security for workers.

(16. September 2020)