Haredi workers discovered: Secular receive higher wages

Orthodox employment discrimination is not a new phenomenon, but the public are generally revealed only to a few cases that indicate it. This is also the case of a number of orthodox micro-foreign workers at hp indigo.


The workers, some of them students at the electronic engineering track from the College of Management, some with degrees in computer science worked at the same production hall alongside outsourcing employees who are not orthodox who were operated by another company, mnpm belonging to the Manpower group.


After the two teams became friends, the Haredi workers found that there are gaps in wages of the two groups even though they perform the same job.

Examinations performed by the Haredi workers also found that the mnpm employees are entitled to additional benefits. For instance, they get 16 days off, compared to 10 days the ultra-Orthodox get off; they are entitled to education fund, while the Haredim aren't. Even a seemingly minor matter, as a holiday gift, the Haredim reported significant gaps - which raised the sense of harsh discrimination.


"We knew from the beginning that it was strange," says David, one of the employees to B'Chadrei Charedim. "After we have discovered it, we could not believe it," he said, "It was a bad feeling. The managers did not give us satisfactory answers and told us we were right, but did not do anything about it."

Six of the Haredi workers were laid off last year.


The 'Tov' movement who operate for the ultra-Orthodox employee in Israel released a survey indicating that most Haredi Orthodox believes that there is discrimination in the private and public sectors.


"This is a very broad phenomenon," said Chairman Chanoch Werdyger, "we would recommend to the group not to go through with this discrimination agenda and we will access all the help needed to stop the phenomenon."

The company's response: "acceptable and reasonable"
Following the findings published in Marker, hp Indigo CEO, Alon Bar-Sheni wrote a clarification letter to employees. The letter, which is a response to claims he claimed that things are not accurate and erroneous conclusions.


"Our pay is based on the nature of the job, skills of the employee and the level of performance. I want to emphasize that I never said that a gap of 40% in wages of employees who fulfill a similar role is likely. One of the fundamentals at HP Indigo is equality and diversity in employment. We as a society, and many of you as employees and managers, are working every day to promote these values.


"The article does not change our commitment to the integration and care of employees without discrimination because of religion, race or gender." It should be emphasized that Bar-Sheni was recorded when saying: "It's perfectly reasonable that of two employees who do something very similar there will be a 40% wage gap."

Regarding allegations that HP Indigo abetted the discrimination against employees, the CEO noted that the Haredim and workers performed similar work at hand, but not identical. Moreover, he argued that there is no place to claim that they receive equal pay to that of the non - orthodox group: "We cannot be dictated identical payment terms. We are not an organization. "He said:" One of the grounds for dismissal here is to tell someone else your wages."

Incidentally, other things that CEO Ben-Sheni said to a newspaper and according to reporter claims were also recorded; he said "employees not satisfied with their job may leave. The ultra-Orthodox learned ten hours in the morning in yeshiva and came to work from 19:00 pm to 2:00 am, this is a third shift - this format is probably not working."


Haredi workers deny the words of the CEO of HP Indigo, and present evidence. Bar-Sheni: I renounce the starting point – that the Haredim received less because they are orthodox. It is impossible to dictate consistent payment terms, even when it comes to social benefits such as vacation days. We are not an organization. This is not religious discrimination, but different pay for different skills. If it is found that the discrimination is due to the fact that they are ultra-Orthodox - it will be reviewed.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!