Ministry of Economy and Industry | Directorate General of Labor

ANNUAL SUMMARY REPORT 2021

Handling of Workers' Queries by the Commissioner's Unit

One of the central roles of the Commissioner for Foreign Workers' Labor Rights Unit is the handling of queries from workers and employers. This role is derived from Section 1(26) of the Law that pertains to the submission and processing of complaints. The Unit is available to address complaints from foreign workers on issues relating to work relations regardless of their status in Israel. This is in addition to queries fromother parties such as employers, civil and private sector organizations, public and international entities etc. with each query receiving a response according to its specific content and nature.

There are two main stages in handling queries submitted to the Unit by workers and employers:

Stage 1 | Initial Legal Information and Advice

In the initial stage, the applicant provides information that describes the reasons for the complaint. In accordance with the information received, the Commissioner's Unit provides, within a reasonable period, relevant information and initial legal advice. If necessary, further clarification is carried out with the worker. Requests for information receive an immediate response and are then generally closed. In this regard, it should be noted that we encourage people contacting the Unit to use the Commissioner for Foreign Workers' Labor Rights Unit website or its Facebook page which provide in-depth information about foreign workers' rights (Website, Facebook Page).

Stage 2 | Initial Clarification with theWorker or Employer

In appropriate cases, an initial clarification will be undertaken with the worker and/or the employer and/or the bureau or any other brokering entity with whom the worker is registered, via a verbal or written enquiry. During this process, the sides will be asked to present further data and/or supplementary information. After receiving the relevant details, the Unit will operate via several channels according to the circumstances of each case: • Direct handling of the complaint with the employer and/or the worker • Referring the complaint to the relevant government departments and/or other qualified external entity • Transferring the case to the Enforcement Administration of the Labor Division • Mediation between the parties Upon completionof the process, theworker will receive anupdate about closure of the case and, if necessary, the Unit will monitor developments to ensure that the parties adhere to the terms agreed. This is the place to add that only a few queries necessitate another legal proceeding, as the parties generally reach agreement at this stage of the process.

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