An Eritrean national who was employed by the Jerusalem Kretchnif Rebbe Shlita to perform janitorial work for a number of months during the past year tried to sue the rebbe and the chassidus for NIS 300,000. At one period, renovations began, and the worker was instructed not to come to work until the renovations are completed.

After a few months, the worker, Radai Gebertsikik Kadana, decided to file a claim against the chassidic court headed by the Rebbe in the amount of NIS 300,000 – for vacation pay due to him by law, for the entire period in which he was employed.

Kretchnif claimed all along that it was a futile suit, since the worker was employed not formally or permanently, but only on a ‘when needed’ bases, so legally they are not obligated to pay vacation time.

The Regional Labor Court in Jerusalem accepted the claim of Attorney Avraham Shahin, who represented the Kretchnif Chassidim, and held that the plaintiff did not establish any cause of action against the defendant, and that the salary received by the plaintiff was not paid to indicate the existence of employee-employer relations with the worker.

The case was dismissed and Kadana was obliged by the court to pay legal expenses for the Kretchnif Chassidim in the amount of NIS 2,000.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)