The Knesset dedicated a discussion to the employment of chareidi women and how they are subjected to inferior wages and at times alarming conditions in the workplace. The discussion is the result of an urgent motion presented by MK (Yahadut Hatorah) Uri Maklev.
Maklev explained a wage differential among chareidi women exists in numerous area and this is especially prominent in the Herzliya high-tech field where others earn over twice the salary of a chareidi woman employed in a chareidi city even if she has the same education and no less an outstanding worker than her Herzliya counterpart.
Maklev praised the work ethic of the chareidi women, as well as their dedication and excellence in his opening remarks. He lamented how some companies build themselves up on the back of chareidi women, who are paid substandard wages.
Responding was Minister Yariv Levin on behalf of the Ministry of the Economy. Levin is also the liaison between the cabinet and the Knesset. He stated “While the rate of employment among chareidi women has increased significantly during recent years, we have encounter a negative phenomenon along with other problems pertaining to their employment. The Economy Ministry is working to improve employment conditions and is using additional measures towards eradicating discrimination and protecting worker rights in general, including of course among chareidi women.
“The contribution of chareidi women to the economy is most welcome and the Ministry of the Economy will be a loyal address to deal with any case of inadequate payment or work conditions”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
5 Responses
I remember last year an article in the news about a frum Knesset member who went to Kiriat Sefer and checked out Matrix and Citybook, and then he went to the parallel companies in Tel Aviv area. He reported to the Knesset that the wage of the Kiriat Sefer women was half than the wage of the Tel Aviv women and he demanded an explanation and a solution, but unfortunately nothing was done.
There might be an additional vested interest in not giving chareidi women their due compensation besides for exploitation. There is great fear among the secular establishment that the high chareidi birthrate with evolve into more political clout (eventually, even becoming the majority) and this has to be stopped at all costs. Many steps have been taken towards an overall plan to secularize the chareidi community. The army is just one. Everyone knows that the IDF doesn’t need chareidi men. With modern technology, it would be much more economical and efficient for the IDF to become a professional, smaller and smarter army staffed by those who choose a military career. From the establishment of the State, the purpose of general conscription is for the IDF to be a secular melting pot – creating Israelis as opposed to Jews. So Step 1 towards secularizing chareidim – sending their boys to the army. Step 2 is interfering with the educational curriculum. Step 3 (actually – all three are concurrent) is crushing chareidim financially from many different directions to force the men to work. Here’s where the low salaries for women come in: chareidim are known to be satisfied with a simpler lifestyle (mistapkim bemu’at). If chareidi women were to earn what they deserve and their families could manage financially, what would motivation their husbands to leave kollel and get a job?
Ladler, even so: I think that regarding companies like Matrix and Citybook which are private and not government sponsored a group of workers should take them to court.
Most haredi Women are raising large families until they are about 50 years of age. I understand the reluctance to hire mothers, simply because their schedule is less consistent than others’.
Why is Matrix getting the hit? The women are willing to work for that price. If they are settling due to lack of options, then hit those other companies that are not hiring them, causing their lack of options, not Matrix and Citybook that are hiring them!