Along with Kav LaOved—Workers’ Hotline, and Itach Maaki, Women Lawyers for Social Justice, we submitted comments regarding a legal memorandum on increasing the minimum wage. Beyond the gradual increase in the minimum wage, the memorandum includes a number of other amendments, relating to vacation days and hours of work and rest.
In the comments we sent to the Ministry of Economy and Industry, we welcomed the intent to raise the minimum wage—which is vital considering the growing scope of low-income workers in Israel—along with an increase in the minimum number of annual vacation days. With that, we are of the opinion that the changes do not take into account the needs of more vulnerable workers in the labor market, especially those employed on the basis of an hourly wage. We proposed amendments to the legal memorandum to account for the law’s existing biases to the detriment of such employees.
With regard to changes in the Hours of Work and Rest Law, we are of the opinion that they are not necessary and may prove problematic in manipulating wages and violating workers’ rights. Regardless, they should not be applied to workers employed on an hourly basis.