135 employees of Dead Sea Works, of the Israel Chemicals group, who were summoned to pre-dismissal hearings, are just the start: at the same time as the layoffs at Dead Sea Works, the management of Israel Chemicals, which is controlled by Idan Ofer's Israel Corporation, continues in its attempts to terminate the employment of 144 employees at Bromine Compounds at Neot Hovav. With the completion of the downsizing at these sites, the company plans to consolidate head offices in the group and carry out a restructuring, in the course of which 30 more employees will be laid off. Israel Chemicals explained the decision to hold pre-dismissal hearings at Dead Sea Works by the need to adjust the group's activity to the world potash market and to the implementation of the recommendations of the Sheshinski 2 committee, which recommended that from January 2017 Israel Chemicals should pay the state a 54% surtax.

Israel Chemicals announced its intention of cutting its workforce and freezing investment plans amounting to billions of shekels in Israel some time ago, and invited the Dead Sea Works workers committee to enter negotiations on implementation of some of its plans.