The employment of contract workers is legitimate in principle. Wariness about the populist rhetoric demanding the banning of employment agencies and contract service firms is warranted. In a democratic country, the freedom of occupation is reserved not only for employees, but also for employers.
It is the right of a company to define its core business and the type of person it wants to employ directly. It is not possible to compel a business - whether is in the public or private sector - to hire cafeteria workers as its own employees. It is impossible to prevent a factory owner from contracting an outside security firm that specializes in security services. It is impossible to compel an exhibition hall from directly employing cleaners when it needs 20 cleaners for one evening's event, but only three cleaners on another day. It is impossible to forbid healthcare funds from operating customer services via an outside call center firm that might be located in Acre or Carmiel.
What can be done? The name of the game is bargaining power, and that is the role of the Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel) in this relationship. The Histadrut, as a large and strong union, should negotiate with employers to reach agreements. Employers have the right to resist, and the Histadrut has the right to take industrial action. These are the rules of the game of labor relations, and that is the proper balance.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on November 6, 2011
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2011