The disgraceful exploitation of thousands of substitute teachers for extended periods in the schools of the Independent Education Network - is leading to a new class action lawsuit, the eighth in number, against the Haredi education network.
The lawsuit was filed on Sunday with the Jerusalem Regional Labor Court by attorney Zvi Mendelson.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of approximately 3,000 teachers who perform their duties with dedication and professionalism. However, the salaries of those teachers who perform their duties for extended periods, but are paid on an hourly basis, are scandalously not paid at the end of the month as required, but are always paid at least a month late. This is without the network bothering to calculate interest and linkage to their salaries as required by law.
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It now appears that the previous proceedings, first revealed in Haredim 10, were not the end of the story in the case of the exploitation of the so-called "substitute" teachers - and now an additional request has been filed to approve a class action lawsuit by Attorney Zvi Mendelson, who deals with the rights of substitute teachers.
According to the allegations in the request for approval, the teacher claims that the payment for the working hours is not paid at the end of the month, as required by the Wage Protection Law, but at least a month later, while the network did not bother to attach interest and linkage to these amounts as required by law, and thus, not only did the network not pay on time, but it paid less than what teachers are entitled to according to the law.
According to the claim in the approval request, which is based, among other things, on a class action lawsuit previously approved in a similar lawsuit against Bar Ilan University, interest and linkage should be legally attached to the salary against them.
As is known, in recent years the index has jumped and with it the cost of living in Israel, and thus the teachers who receive a basic salary for the hours they fill their positions have received even less than they should receive as their salaries have eroded, while the network pockets the index differences at the teachers' expense.
If this procedure is approved by the court and bears fruit, it would ostensibly involve an additional payment of millions of shekels to more than 3,000 teachers in independent education.
Thus, so far, 8 requests have been submitted to certify class actions against independent education, with five of them dealing with the issue of teachers employed in independent education and referred to as "fill-in teachers.".
The lawsuit The first Engaged in With a contribution from independent education employees at a rate of 2% to the education fund, which was already approved as representative in August 2022.
The lawsuit The second Engaged in In the non-payment to teaching staff for half an hour of morning prayer.
The lawsuit The third Engaged in By requiring every teacher to work a "volunteer hour.".
The lawsuit The fourth Engaged in In the training fund and dormitory fees for the substitutes.
The lawsuit The fifth Engaged in In various salary increments due to teachers and salaries for the months of July-August.
The lawsuit The sixth Engaged in With substitute teacher rights, "classroom education compensation" and 3 hours of classroom education.
The seventh claim concerns Substitute teachers are entitled to receive additional pay for "holiday and summer breaks during maternity leave", "breastfeeding time" and "recuperation breaks".
And now the eighth lawsuit deals with the payment of linkage differences and interest according to law for the reduced salaries of the substitute teachers.
