Jeroen wrote: >That is not how it works in the rest of the world. Labour unions defend the >interests of the workers, not the employers. So, I suppose unions defending >the interests of employers only happens in Israel. > Surely you jest... At the close of the industrial revolution, unions defended the interests of the workers. It has been many years since the main business of trade unions in western countries is in actually defending the rights/interests of workers. They are some of the richest and most powerful organisations around, and are used as launching platforms for political careers, and as sources of "consulting fees" and "management fees" for the massive benefits funds. Worker's rights are more of a side business, like a part time job for them. The only time the unions get involved in worker's interests these days is when membership (and therefore dues) are threatened. The rest of the time, the unions are looking out for the best interest of the unions. Ask to see the financial accounts of your local building workers union, or metalworkers union, and you might get an idea. Ask how many of the executive of the union are still actually workers, compared to how many of them worked on the factory floor for a brief time before going to be a full-time union rep... This occurred in different ways in the UK and in the US, but the end result has been the same, and it has spread from those countries to the rest of the western world. (I am pretty sure that Ilana only said they were looking out for themselves, not that they were for the employers, but I could be wrong)
Russell C.
