National agreement on integrating workers with disabilities signed by Israeli unions, employers

Israel’s national center Histadrut and the national employer umbrella organization signed a binding agreement on June 26 on the employment of people with disabilities, opening the way for what Histadrut Chairman Avi Nissenkorn called  “800 thousand potential employees that will be able to make a decent living and integrate in the labour market.”

According to the agreement, “adequate representation” is set at 2% at the end of one year following the agreement, rising to 3% at the end of two years. The agreement establishes a joint monitoring committee to ensure compliance; companies are obliged to designate an employee with specific responsibility for the appropriate  employment of employees with disabilities; and supplementary provisions for enterprises with fewer than 100 employees are to be jointly established.

Both the union and the employers have called on the government to follow their example in public sector employment.