Histadrut Chair Arnon Bar-David called on Labor Minister Yoav Ben-Tzur last week to enshrine in law the rights of workers employed through online platforms. This call comes as a global discussion on the topic of digital platform work, such as delivery apps, is set to take place next month at the International Labor Conference. A petition to the Israeli labor court on the topic is also pending.
“In recent years, the online economy has transformed into an inseparable part of the global and Israeli labor markets,” the Histadrut chair wrote. “Israel, as a progressive economy with a developed high tech branch and an app-based consumer culture, is standing at the heart of change. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis work through online platforms—delivery drivers, transportation workers, care, sales, and more—sometimes without being entitled to basic rights such as minimum wage, national insurance, sick days, or vacation. Therefore, it is of national importance to lead fair and modern regulation that balances technological innovation with worker rights.”
Bar-David emphasized that the documents published in preparation for the International Labor Conference indicate a growing consensus—among both governments and workers—on promoting a binding international accord on the subject. He said that 195 unions from around the world, including the Histadrut, support the initiative.
“The state of Israel has a clear and necessary interest to progress global regulation that will guarantee fair labor even in the digital age,” Bar-David wrote, adding that the Histadrut will be happy to meet with the labor minister and to present him with the local implications. “The state of Israel's support for the accord and recommendation expected at the upcoming conference will be an expression of the values of fairness, innovation, and social responsibility. Thus I turn to you to ask that the Israeli government support the efforts to formulate an international accord.”
The issue of the online economy has also been discussed in Israeli labor courts, following a class action lawsuit filed by delivery drivers demanding that they be recognized as employees entitled to the rights of employees. The state has claimed that it does not have enough data to determine a position on the matter and noted that it intends to commission a study to examine the implications.
In the meantime, the European Union passed a law on the subject, which states that the default in employment relationships with online platforms will be employee-employer relationships—and the burden of proof will be on the company to claim otherwise. The EU law also addresses algorithm management and privacy issues, and is currently considered one of the most significant precedents in the field.
This article was translated from Hebrew by Tzivia Gross.
