Some 6,300 employees worked for El Al in 2019, including 630 pilots. While captains only make up about 10% of El Al's workforce, their wages make up about 42% of wages at the company.
"The management creates spin, the entire purpose of which is to keep the company owned by the Knafaim Company, and to turn the spotlight on employees as if they are to blame for the company's situation," said the pilot's union in response to the report, according to KAN.
The Histadrut national labor union signed an agreement in July in which many pilots would be fired and others would lose a significant portion of their salaries. The agreement was signed after similar agreements were signed by the rest of the company in order to receive a government loan to save the company.
At the end of July, El Al pilots filed a suit against the Histadrut at a labor court and called for the efficiency agreement to be canceled, according to KAN. The pilots were not present at meetings concerning the agreement.
The Histadrut said the pilot agreement alone would bring $105 million in spending cuts.
The government has offered to guarantee bank loans and even buy a majority stake, but it is demanding an overhaul, including some $400 million in cutbacks. The airline’s workforce is expected to be reduced by about 2,000 employees.
El Al's workers union sent a harsh letter against the company's pilots to management in May, complaining that about half of the pilots were brought back to work with full salaries despite the fact that many were not even flying due to the coronavirus, while about 90% of workers were on unpaid leave. Representatives of the pilots were demanding that even more pilots be brought back to work, according to the letter.
El Al announced in July that it would extend its suspension of flights until the end of August, according to Reuters.
Reuters contributed to this report.