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The National Labour Federation in Eretz Israel was founded in Jerusalem on April 9th, 1934. The aims of the Federation, as expressed in the message of greeting sent by Ze'ev Jabotinsky, the leader of the Zionist Revisionist Party, are to unite all those workers who believe in solving the country's social and political problems on the basis of the teachings of Herzl, Nordau and Jabotinsky.
The NLF believes in the right of the workers to organise and set up Trade Unions. Another of its basic principles is support for the compulsory arbitration of labour disputes. It believes in separation of the functions of employer and trade union, and is, for that reason, opposed to the Histadrut, which is at one and the same time the country's largest trade union and a large-scale employer of labour. The NLF is in favour of nationalising the country's basic social services.
As an organisation firmly based on Zionism, its banner is the blue and white national flag and its hymn, the "Hatiqwa", while the anniversary of the death of Herzl is observed as a national holiday.
The NLF holds its national conference every four years, when it elects its officers and committees. It engages in a wide range of enterprises for its members which include insurance and pension funds; unemployment funds; settlement activities; a housing company; convalescent and vacation centres; savings and loan funds; mutual helpfunds and its own Health Fund, which is also celebrating its 50th anniversary. The NLF's Health Fund has 280,000 members who are served by 132 branches all over the country. The fund accepts any citizen of Israel, irrespective of nationality, political views, party affiliation or class. The health insurance covers the member's whole family and provides a complete range of services including out-patient treatment at clinics and hospitals, hospitalisation, laboratory and X-ray services, dental care, etc.
The NLF has built up an information service which produces informatory bulletins in several languages, contributes articles to the national press and publishes the movement's own monthly. There is also an active cultural department which arranges lectures for its members on subjects of general interest; screens documentary films; arranges trips around the country; and holds special courses etc.
The NLF has a youth section which is organised by the "National Working and Learning Youth Movement" which operates youth clubs in towns and villages, with the emphasis on development towns and areas where there are communities of new immigrants. The youth movement also produces its own monthly magazine.
