Economy Minister Aryeh Deri, Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel) chair Avi Nissenkorn, and Israel Manufacturers Association president Shraga Brosh signed on Thursday a new collective bargaining agreement that will increase the minimum annual vacation time by two days. Deri is expected to expand the agreement to cover the entire marketplace.
The agreement was signed in the Ministry of the Economy; it raises the minimum vacation time by one day starting July 2016 and adds an additional day by January 2017.
The current minimum annual vacation time stands at 10 days for a five-day workweek and 12 days for employees working six days a week. According to the new agreement, employees who have been with their current employer will receive two additional days of vacation at the employer’s expense, while workers with 3-4 years of seniority will receive an extra day.
Economy Minister Deri said at the signing: “We are correcting an historical injustice; since I entered the Ministry of Economy I worked with Histadrut Chair Avi Nissenkorn and President of the Manufacturers Association Shraga Brosh to increase the number of vacation days for employees. An employee must receive a fair wage and suitable working conditions which is why I increased the vacation days. We are providing a bonus for the working person and I believe the right way to care for employees is with an agreement. I am glad that Nissenkorn and Brosh stepped up to the call and agreed to raise the number of vacation days for the weakest workers.”
Nissenkorn praised the latest move to benefit Israeli workers. “By employing measures like raising the minimum wage, or the news we bring today, we are continuing to decrease the inequities in the Israeli society by strengthening the position of the working person.”
Brosh added: “This agreement reflects our basic worldview that the workplace relations in the Israeli economy must be led through a cooperation by the Histadrut and the employers’ associations, especially considering the current limitations to productivity and growth that the market is facing these days.”
MK Rachel Azaria from Kulanu, who helped push for the agreement, said: “This is an important first step towards matching the minimum number of vacation days in the OECD - 15-20 days. The number of vacation days has not changed in 64 years, and the time is now. Today’s workers deserve to receive the same conditions that the law granted their parents.”
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on October 29, 2015
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