Histadrut Chairman: Expansion Orders Elevate Security and Cleaning Workers' Wages
Translated & summarized from Davar by baba
Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar-David announced that expansion orders in the security and cleaning sectors are ensuring workers earn above minimum wage with improved benefits. He highlighted unprecedented cooperation between labor unions and employers, fostering shared responsibility for worker welfare. The union leader emphasized social solidarity and equal rights for all workers, while legal experts noted progress in enforcement but called for continued efforts to address remaining violations, particularly by local authorities.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Histadrut Chairman Arnon Bar-David stated expansion orders are raising security and cleaning workers' pay above minimum wage.
- Unprecedented cooperation between unions and employers is fostering worker welfare in these sectors.
- The union emphasizes social solidarity and equal rights for all workers, regardless of their role.
- Legal experts acknowledge enforcement improvements but highlight ongoing wage and pension violations.
- Local authorities are cited as frequent violators of labor laws, unlike government ministries and private firms.
Expansion orders implemented in the security and cleaning sectors have set a precedent in labor relations, ensuring workers earn above minimum wage with enhanced social benefits, according to Arnon Bar-David, Chairman of the Histadrut. Speaking at a conference for the Union of Security, Cleaning, and Nursing Care Workers, Bar-David highlighted an unprecedented full cooperation between the workers' union and employer organizations in these fields. This partnership, he stated, fosters a culture of welfare and a shared understanding to collectively improve conditions for workers through welfare associations and service packages.
Yossi Barbi, Chairman of the Union of Security, Cleaning, and Nursing Care Workers, described his union as the voice for contract workers' rights in security and cleaning, acting as a bridge between employees, employers, and service purchasers to resolve issues. He emphasized the Histadrut's role in promoting social solidarity, ensuring that all workers, regardless of their role, are treated equally and have their rights protected.
Attorney Yael Shilony noted during a panel on enforcing contract workers' rights that significant enforcement mechanisms have been built in Israel, leading to improved protections for security and cleaning staff. She credited the Histadrut's involvement in setting standards and establishing joint supervision and enforcement mechanisms as key drivers in reducing violations. However, Shilony acknowledged that challenges remain, particularly concerning wage and pension discrepancies, and stressed the need for continued efforts to ensure strict enforcement and full rights for all workers.
Avi Mizrahi, Chairman of the Organization of Cleaning Companies, pointed out that while government ministries and the private sector generally comply with regulations, many local authorities are failing to adhere to the law regarding worker compensation. Attorney Lior Adarai Hershkovitz, Chairwoman of Na'amat Emekim Tzfoni, called for an amendment to the Women's Employment Law to hold service purchasers accountable for security and cleaning workers, arguing that the contractor system should not be used to circumvent protections for pregnant employees.