The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor is seeking a NIS 42 million budget to hire 166 new labor law enforcement inspectors. The ministry claims that the Ministry of Finance has recognized the need to increase the number of inspectors which currently stands at 19, but has not made a specific budgetary allocation for this in the 2007 budget proposals.
The Industry Ministry disclosed figures today that strengthen its claim that “the labor market is rife with criminal activity,” which it is currently incapable of addressing with the means at its disposal. At present, 105,000 people employed in the services sector, which has 55,000 employers, earn less than the minimum wage. More than half of employees do not get paid for overtime, and every year 2,000 employers fire pregnant women, in contravention of the Employment of Women Law (5714-1954).
The ministry figures also revealed that 50 employment agencies currently do not have an operating license. In addition, 1,000 companies are registered as services contractors and thus they do not need a special license, but operate in practice as labor contractors.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on December 26, 2006
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