Slavery in Israel: Worse than you imagined
by: Yuval Goren, NRG (March 11, 2010)
Since the year 2000, Rebecca Kinto, a citizen of the Philippines, has been employed as a carefgiver for an elderly woman in a Moshav in the south of Israel. During the ten years that she was employed in Israel, Kinto worked 7 days a week, 24 hours a Day, while granted only one day off every month, and sometimes not even that.
According to Kinto, she did not receive pay for her nonstop work during the weekends, and her salary during the past four years was less than minimum wage. She was also forced to pay for her work visa renewal even though this is against the law.
Lately she turned to Kav LaOved in order to find out what her rights are. Lav LaOved workers were astonished at the details of this case, and quickly reported it to the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor, which started an investigation against her employers.
“She would have one day off per month, and sometimes not at all. In some cases her employers would call her back to work after only a few hours”, says Idit Lebovitch, coordinator of assistance to migrant caregivers for Kav LaOved.
By her side at the hospital
Lately there has been a decline in the health of the elderly woman (82) that Rebecca has been caring for, and she was hospitalized in the Kaplan hospital in Rehovot. Kinto was of course by her side at all times. In a conversation with Ma’ariv yesterday, Kinto said: “I know I didn’t get what I deserved, my friends told me I should speak up, and that I didn’t have to work so much, but I just want to continue working because I need the money”.
Staff at Kav LaOved are now trying to help Kinto get the money that she deserves. Among other concerns, they are afraid that Kinto will be fired because of her contact with them, and will be forced to leave the country without receiving what she is entitled to by law. “We turned to the elderly woman’s family and explained the rights that Kinto was denied. We have not heard back from them yet.” Said Lebovitch yesterday.
Last week Kinto received a day off after a long period of time, and used it to go to Jerusalem. There she prayed, among other things, for the health off her elderly employer. “Unfortunately we come across many cases in which migrant workers work under conditions that are against the law, Says Dana Shaked, spokesperson for Kav LaOved.
”Since they are in Israel for over five years, according to the law they are only allowed to stay as long as they are working for the same person. They know they won’t be able to work elsewhere in Israel, and prefer to stay under such conditions, so as not to be deported”, adds Ms. Shaked.
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