New Israeli law to allow compulsory job recruitment in case of emergency
"This is a rather extreme law," said MK Haim Katz.
By OMRI RONIsraeli army Technicians carry out a diagnostic test for coronavirus in a IDF lab in central Israel on July 15, 2020.(photo credit: YOSSI ZELIGER/FLASH90)
New legislation is on the table that would allow an acting welfare minister to initiate compulsory recruitment of essential employees in the case of a coronavirus spread or other emergencies, N12 reported.The law's goal is to prevent a shortage of essential employees in a possible emergency.The head of the committee discussing the legislation, Likud MK Haim Katz, expressed some concern over the unusual new law."This is a rather extreme law which deals with compulsory labor," because "you take citizens and apply army laws to them," Katz said. "Before we pass it, I want to know how the country will handle things like salary for this employee, his return to his previous work place, and everything else that we should know in such a situation so that the employee will not be hurt as much. We will not leave here with a broken law."Dikla Horesh, head of legal counseling at the Labor Ministry, said that the law is designed to provide an essential need of the market, and that it would only be used in cases where it is truly necessary.
