and here is an example of what happens when employees without a lot of leverage start to "make trouble" and demand more than what they originally agreed to.
A few years ago Hillel Yaakovson set up a company called Net Source for the purpose of employing haredi women, and he did so to the tune of 600 women.
After some years of employment, the women decided to unionize, after not having their demands met.
They have the legal right to do so.
In response, Yaakovson has announced that he is shutting down the company, Net Source, and everyone is to be fired within 60 days.
He has the legal right to do so.
Yaakovson says that the company is not profitable, and the owners have invested a lot of their own money to keep the business going and to improve it. Yet, many of the employees see the owners as taking advantage of them and acting in harmful ways. Yaakovson sounds surprised but says they have worked hard to keep the business open and to employ so many people, despite a downturn in income. And therefore they are closing up shop. Within 60 days.
source: Kikar and ShemeshNet
I am sure there are two sides, or more, to the story. They blame the others and the others blame them. I have no interest in picking sides in an employment dispute, and have no way to judge who is right, who is wrong, nor who did or didn't do what.
My point is that when companies are enticed to be forthcoming to a group of people and create special terms of employment, and the employees really have nowhere else to go (by their own choice, as they refuse to enter the general workforce on the regular terms), they cannot start demanding changes to the terms without expecting repercussions, even if they are legally allowed to.
It happened with Net Source, and if other people are not careful, it will also happen with others. If Moshe Gafni does not pay attention and be careful, he is going to get a lot of Haredi women on the unemployment lines when suddenly a dozen companies employing Haredi women decide it is not worth their time to provide special and unique environments to employees who start making more and more demands.
Even if the women are legally allowed to.
If Moshe Gafni is not careful with his crusade for the Haredi women who do not make enough money (and they don't ), he very well may get a lot of them fired. Then they will really be up a creek.
A solution needs to be found, but they better be careful with the demands they make.
------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
------------------------------------------------------
