Accompanied by IDF disabled people go to war! | Israel Today

Behind the struggle of the disabled, there is an equally important struggle - of those disabled attendants, who have cared for them with dedication for years • These are the most transparent workers, who are employed for hundreds of hours a month, absent from home and give their lives for IDF disabled rehabilitation

• Accompanied by the disabled.

  There are about 3,000 people employed through contractor companies

  Photo: 

  Yossi Zamir

In recent years, we have heard quite a few complaints from IDF disabled people about the Ministry of Defense, claiming that the ministry is making it difficult for the medical committees to receive the conditions to which they are entitled and to fund the treatment they deserve. What most of the public has not heard is that Of those accompanying the disabled.

The disabled escorts, numbering about 3,000 people employed through contractor companies, have suffered particularly disgraceful employment conditions in recent years, and are conducting lengthy negotiations with the Ministry of Defense, in order to achieve appropriate and equal conditions for all employees.

Beginner lenders earn the minimum wage, do not receive an adequate pension, and lack an employment horizon.

Five years ago, the National Workers 'Union of Israel began representing the IDF Disability Accompanying Workers' Committee. Now, in a joint struggle, they are pointing the finger of blame at Defense Minister and former Chief of Staff Bnei Gantz with the aim of "shaking" his office officials. The importance of providing proper and dedicated care to IDF disabled people. They also point to the Director General of the Ministry of Defense as someone who, according to them, refuses to resolve the burning issue.

According to them, the whole business is before the explosion, and that if no solution is found, they will be forced to shut down the entire loan system.

"If I understand that all the ends are over, we will take to the streets. We do not want to make wars on the backs of the disabled, I beg the Ministry of Defense not to get into this situation," says the chairman of the workers' committee, Avner Malka.

Lenders go out first and foremost against the gaps created between first generation workers and second generation workers.

According to them, until 15-20 years ago, the Rehabilitation Division in the Ministry of Defense was the object of admiration, and the workers of the same generation were given basic conditions in the economy, but adequate.

So according to them, the Rehabilitation Division worked for the benefit of the disabled and for their rehabilitation while listening and talking, while today the Division is a messenger from the Ministry of Finance who speaks only in "numbers" and does not see the needs of the disabled.

// Photo: Yossi Zamir

In addition, there is a struggle against the Ministry of Defense's decision to go out to tender at a cost of about NIS 420 million a year for the next 10 years, which will change the contractor companies and the terms of employment of the lenders.

According to the Ministry of Defense, the budget for improving the conditions for IDF disabled escorts amounts to only NIS 8 million.

The Ministry of Defense, on the other hand, claims that in light of the fact that there is no government, no budget has been found at this time to improve the employment conditions of the workers, which will significantly improve the service received by IDF disabled people. "Then," the Histadrut claims. Which will be government and budget.

"Then the senior members of the defense establishment will make an informed decision on the matter when they hear all the parties."

Throughout the struggle, the tribunal repeatedly stands by the position of the lenders, and freezes the tenders that the Ministry of Defense is trying to issue.

The court ruled that the ministry is committed to a dialogue with the Histadrut and the workers' committee, after it refused.

However, the Histadrut claims that the hearing conducted by the ministry was only ostensible for the court, and that the rehabilitation department did not show any willingness to conduct responsible and genuine negotiations that would achieve the goals.

The struggle is also accompanied by the IDF Disabled People's Organization, which fully supports the position of the escorts who sacrifice considerable time of their lives for the rehabilitation of the disabled. It is important to understand that these are IDF disabled escorts who are in a difficult situation.

Lenders are employed about 350 hours a month, some even more, and often give up their family.

They travel many hours from the periphery to reach disabled homes.

In most cases you do not even get the full refund for the trips.

Apart from the physical accompaniment, which is not simple, it is a bureaucratic accompaniment with the authorities, including the Ministry of Defense and the medical committees.

And the most important accompaniment is the emotional and mental accompaniment that the disabled need, and has no substitute.

// Photo: Yossi Zamir

"I have worked as a mentor for 34 years, 30 of which I worked with the same disabled person. I lost him two years ago. He was my family for everything - Saturdays, holidays, I was always with him," says Malka, who set up the workers' committee himself and heads it today.

"The escorts are the rehabilitators of the IDF disabled.

We live with them in a relationship of years and deal with everything.

This is not an easy job.

Lots of burden on the shoulders.

This is not just about terms or money.

The most painful is the attitude of the Ministry of Defense.

Why are we worth less?

I am from a bereaved family, I served in the army.

What is this attitude?

I lost my brother, and then I got my disability, which I had as a family for 30 years. "

Adv. Idan Kleiman, chairman of the IDF Disabled People's Organization, claims that "an IDF disabled person and his attendant are one."

In a discussion with the Ministry of Defense this week, Kleiman said: "I served in Lebanon and Gaza as a fighter in Givati ​​and was wounded in clashes with terrorists at close range. A lot of things I could have done 10 years ago I can not do today.

"There are a lot of physical, mental, trauma problems. My companion is with me in the most difficult moments. In the bedroom, in the bathroom, in the shower. I can not describe to you the sense of insult we, the injured, feel when talking to us about money.

"The actions I took in Lebanon, the clashes and ambushes in Gaza and now they are talking to me about compromising our medical treatment."

At the end of the discussion, he said that "it has once again been proven that the Ministry of Defense sees the rehabilitation and treatment of IDF disabled people through the hole in the deportation and clearly prefers budgetary considerations over the needs of IDF disabled people."

 Itamar Sharoni, Deputy Director General of the Histadrut's Recruitment Division: "This is a sacrifice of IDF disabled people because of money. The Ministry of Defense and the State of Israel repeatedly violate the moral and value agreement that the State of Israel owes to IDF wounded and security forces. .

We are determined to put an end to the lawlessness of thousands of dedicated escorts and that senior members of the defense establishment will finally understand that the wounded in the IDF are not just a number in the budget section. "  

// Photo: Yossi Zamir

Attorneys Yair David and Yoram Brock, who represent the Accompanying Committee, stated: "This is a long, difficult and exhausting struggle which the Ministry of Defense insists on conducting in courts, instead of recognizing its first-rate legal and moral duty and ensuring that IDF disabled escorts In a real sacrament, they will receive the most basic social rights that every worker deserves. "

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