The All-Israel Association of Histadrut Trade Unions has called on Deputy Israel Eichler, chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Labor and Social Security, to promote a bill compensating pension contributions for workers who are called up for reserve duty. Yossi Barabi, head of the union of employees in security companies, cleaners, and elderly care companies, initiated this process. His bill will be tabled within two weeks if the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Defense fail to come up with agreed government legislation before then. This initiative is supported by both the Minister of Labor and the Minister of Defense.
Under current law, reservists are compensated based on their “gross” pay while serving, excluding employer-paid benefits such as pension contributions, severance pay, holiday pay, health benefits, sick leave and more. These losses can amount to 22%-36% of an employee’s salary. According to MP Eti Atiya, this issue has been raised in many areas, especially in the field of safety and security. With around 100,000 people employed in this sector and at least 20% of them called to serve in the reserve, it poses a significant cost to already struggling security companies.
In addition to this article about marijuana businesses in various counties and states appears unrelated to the issue raised by the Histadrut union federation calling for refunds of pension contributions for workers who are called up for reserve duty.