Kav LaOved
Encyclopedia
Kav La'Oved is an Israel
i non-profit association, founded in 1991. Its objective is to protect the rights of disadvantaged workers. It provides information, advice, and legal representation for the most deprived workers in Israel –migrant workers, Palestinian
workers and Israeli low-wage earners
.
, Jerusalem, and Beersheva) and two extensions in the Palestinian Authority (offices in Qalqiliya) and Jericho
, plus area coordinators for Palestinian workers employed in Israeli settlements in the West Bank
). The organization has several staffers and dozens of volunteers who regularly work and provide individual help, collect information, and document the condition of disadvantaged workers in Israel. Ms. Hannah Zohar founded Kav LaOved and has served as its manager since then.
There are four aspects to the organization's efforts - the individual, public, education & advocacy, and civic enforcement aspects.
Individual – providing advice and legal representation for low-wage workers. Legal aid includes help on issues of Labour law
s, Tax law
s, National Insurance
issues, Legal status in Israel, and arranging Work permit
s.
Public - Kav LaOved applies the substantial know-how and experience its staff has acquired in individual cases to work towards societal change. It does so by filing principled petitions to the courts, drawing up draft bills, and working vis-à-vis the Knesset
(Israel's parliament), government offices and the media. The organization identifies and indicates phenomena and mechanisms of exploitation that disempower workers. With other organizations, Kav LaOved strives to amend laws and regulations and to introduce improvements in law-enforcement agencies.
Education & Advocacy – Raising awareness to worker rights
, among others by writing and issuing mini-notebooks that list basic rights. The notebooks are printed in several languages, and their contents are featured on internet sites, in leaflets, and reports. Workshops for workers and lectures for the general public are also given.
Civic Enforcement – Working to protect worker rights by using enforcement mechanisms of state authorities, instead of turning to the courts. The term civic enforcement relates to alternative mechanisms: these include "naming and shaming" employers who violate worker rights, and encouraging workers and consumers to avoid associating with such employers. Kav LaOved documents complaints and rulings against employers and personnel contractors: it uses legal means to publish the names of employers and companies whose business operations have been defined by the authorities as flawed.
Kav LaOved operates in tandem with other non-government organizations (NGO
s) such as Association for Civil Rights in Israel
, the Hotline for migrant worker, and Physicians for Human Rights
– to change policy on matters of principle. Among others, the association is involved in the Forum for Enforcement of Worker Rights which focuses on the rights of contract-workers, in the Mandatory Pension
Coalition, the Migrant Workers Forum, and in a joint project with some branches of the Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions
(PGFTU).
Kav LaOved is funded by donations from foundations and private donors.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i non-profit association, founded in 1991. Its objective is to protect the rights of disadvantaged workers. It provides information, advice, and legal representation for the most deprived workers in Israel –migrant workers, Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
workers and Israeli low-wage earners
Minimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...
.
Activities
Kav LaOved has four main branches in Israel (Tel-Aviv, HaifaHaifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, Jerusalem, and Beersheva) and two extensions in the Palestinian Authority (offices in Qalqiliya) and Jericho
Jericho
Jericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently...
, plus area coordinators for Palestinian workers employed in Israeli settlements in the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
). The organization has several staffers and dozens of volunteers who regularly work and provide individual help, collect information, and document the condition of disadvantaged workers in Israel. Ms. Hannah Zohar founded Kav LaOved and has served as its manager since then.
There are four aspects to the organization's efforts - the individual, public, education & advocacy, and civic enforcement aspects.
Individual – providing advice and legal representation for low-wage workers. Legal aid includes help on issues of Labour law
Labour law
Labour law is the body of laws, administrative rulings, and precedents which address the legal rights of, and restrictions on, working people and their organizations. As such, it mediates many aspects of the relationship between trade unions, employers and employees...
s, Tax law
Tax law
Tax law is the codified system of laws that describes government levies on economic transactions, commonly called taxes.-Major issues:Primary taxation issues facing the governments world over include;* taxes on income and wealth...
s, National Insurance
National Insurance
National Insurance in the United Kingdom was initially a contributory system of insurance against illness and unemployment, and later also provided retirement pensions and other benefits...
issues, Legal status in Israel, and arranging Work permit
Work permit
Work permit is a generic term for a legal authorization which allows a person to take employment.It is most often used in reference to instances where a person is given permission to work in a country where one does not hold citizenship, but is also used in reference to minors, who in some...
s.
Public - Kav LaOved applies the substantial know-how and experience its staff has acquired in individual cases to work towards societal change. It does so by filing principled petitions to the courts, drawing up draft bills, and working vis-à-vis the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
(Israel's parliament), government offices and the media. The organization identifies and indicates phenomena and mechanisms of exploitation that disempower workers. With other organizations, Kav LaOved strives to amend laws and regulations and to introduce improvements in law-enforcement agencies.
Education & Advocacy – Raising awareness to worker rights
Labor rights
Labor rights or workers' rights are a group of legal rights and claimed human rights having to do with labor relations between workers and their employers, usually obtained under labor and employment law. In general, these rights' debates have to do with negotiating workers' pay, benefits, and safe...
, among others by writing and issuing mini-notebooks that list basic rights. The notebooks are printed in several languages, and their contents are featured on internet sites, in leaflets, and reports. Workshops for workers and lectures for the general public are also given.
Civic Enforcement – Working to protect worker rights by using enforcement mechanisms of state authorities, instead of turning to the courts. The term civic enforcement relates to alternative mechanisms: these include "naming and shaming" employers who violate worker rights, and encouraging workers and consumers to avoid associating with such employers. Kav LaOved documents complaints and rulings against employers and personnel contractors: it uses legal means to publish the names of employers and companies whose business operations have been defined by the authorities as flawed.
Kav LaOved operates in tandem with other non-government organizations (NGO
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
s) such as Association for Civil Rights in Israel
Association for Civil Rights in Israel
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel was created as an independent non-partisan organization to protect human rights and civil rights in Israel and the territories under its control....
, the Hotline for migrant worker, and Physicians for Human Rights
Physicians for Human Rights
Physicians for Human Rights was founded in 1986 by a small group of doctors who believed the unique scientific expertise and authority of health professionals could bring human rights violations to light and provide justice for victims...
– to change policy on matters of principle. Among others, the association is involved in the Forum for Enforcement of Worker Rights which focuses on the rights of contract-workers, in the Mandatory Pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
Coalition, the Migrant Workers Forum, and in a joint project with some branches of the Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions
Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions
The Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions , also called the Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions or Palestinian Trade Union Federation , is a national trade union center in the Palestinian Territories...
(PGFTU).
Kav LaOved is funded by donations from foundations and private donors.
Awards & Prizes
- 1998 – Kav LaOved was given the Emil GrunzweigEmil GrunzweigEmil Grunzweig was an Israeli teacher and peace activist affiliated with the Peace Now movement. He became an icon of the Israeli left after he was killed by a grenade thrown at a peace rally in Jerusalem in 1983.-Biography:Emil Grunzweig was born in Cluj in Transylvania, Romania...
Human Rights Award, an annual award by the Association for Civil Rights in IsraelAssociation for Civil Rights in IsraelThe Association for Civil Rights in Israel was created as an independent non-partisan organization to protect human rights and civil rights in Israel and the territories under its control....
to "an individual or NGO that has made a unique contribution to the advancement of human rights in Israel", for its work for the rights of migrant workers in Israel. - 2003 – The Knesset Speaker's Award for endeavours strengthening democracy.
- 2004 – Hannah Zohar was named by the GlobesGlobesGlobes is a Hebrew language daily evening financial newspaper, published in Israel. According to TGI 2009 media survey Globes' market share rose 15% over the year to 4.4%. Its main competitors in printed media are TheMarker of Haaretz group and Calcalist published by Yedioth Ahronoth Group...
newspaper as one of Israel's 50 most positively influential women. - 2006 – Kav LaOved won the Silver Rose award, granted by SolidarSolidarSOLIDAR is a European network of NGOs working to advance social justice in Europe and worldwide. SOLIDAR voices the concerns of its member organisations to the EU and international institutions across the policy sectors social affairs, international cooperation and lifelong learning.With 52 member...
– an independent international alliance of NGOs – for its efforts in the field of workers rights. - 2007 – Hannah Zohar was chosen by Israeli newspaper The Marker as one of the 40 women at the forefront of social endeavours in Israel.
- 2007 – Hannah Zohar, the founder and director of Kav LaOved, received the New Israel Foundation's Human Rights Award.
Achievements
- A successful petition to Israel's Supreme CourtSupreme Court of IsraelThe Supreme Court is at the head of the court system and highest judicial instance in Israel. The Supreme Court sits in Jerusalem.The area of its jurisdiction is all of Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. A ruling of the Supreme Court is binding upon every court, other than the Supreme...
against binding migrant workers to their employers. Kav LaOved appealed jointly with other NGOs (The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, The Hotline for Migrant Workers, Physicias for Human Rights, The Adva CenterAdva Center-History:Adva was founded in 1991 by activists from three social movements: the movement for equality for Mizrahi Jews, the feminist movement, and the movement for equal rights for Arab citizens. The director of the center is Barbara Svirski and its chairman is Yossi Dahan.-Objectives:Adva Center...
, Mehuyavut – Commitment for Peace and Social Jusicey, and Tel-Aviv University's Human RightsHuman rightsHuman rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
Legal ClinicLegal clinicThe phrase legal clinic may refer to any private, nonprofit law practice serving the public interest. In the academic context, these law school clinics provide hands-on experience to law school students and services to various clients. Academic Clinics are usually directed by clinical professors...
). - An amendment to the National Insurance law obligating National Insurance to pay wage-replacement pension (e.g. maternity leave, payments for reserve military service) in an amount not less than the minimum wage – even if the employer paid its workers less, and set less aside to the National Insurance (the amendment covers all workers in all sectors)
- Direct payment of pensionPensionIn general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
s to PalestinianPalestinian peopleThe Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
workers by the Payments Section of the Employment Service. This replaces the previous method, where the pensions were redeemed by attorneys who charged the workers unnecessary fees. - Reinstatement of the tax credit points for migrant workers, revoked in January 2007.
- Under a government decision from August 2007 Israel will now sign bilateral agreements with all countries of origin of migrant workers. The agreements will stipulate, among others, the reducing of brokerage fees paid by migrant workers coming to Israel. The decision reflected a 180-degree change from the Foreign Ministry's previously stated opinion on the matter (that Israel would not sign bilateral agreements concerning migrant workers). It is the direct outcome of Kav LaOved's petitioning of the High Court.
- In September 2007, the Justice Ministry's Commission for Licensing Private InvestigatorPrivate investigatorA private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...
s and Security Companies announced that it was making the annual licence-renewal of all security companies conditional on their paying pensions and other social benefits to their workers. - In October 2007, Israel's Supreme Court, sitting as the High Court of Justice in a panel of nine judges, unanimously adopted a petition by Kav LaOved, and ruled that Israeli laws must apply to Palestinians working in West BankWest BankThe West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
settlements. - Significantly increased awareness among low-earning workers about their rights, following massive information campaigns.