School principals sue the Ministry of Education: "We are employed for free in the summer"

In a draft statement of claim that reached Walla!

The organization of school leaders "Leaders" notes that principals are required to work during the summer months, without rest, even though they are paid for only 10 months.

If the claim is accepted, the managers will receive a retroactive payment for 7 years in which they were not paid for work on vacation.

Uri Sela

26/05/2022

Thursday, 26 May 2022, 16:31 Updated: 20:31

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Ran Erez, Chairman of the Teachers' Association (Maariv)

School principals will file a lawsuit against the Ministry of Education for employing them for free summer vacation.

In the draft statement of claim, which reached Walla !, the organization of school leaders "Leaders" states that the principals are required to attend meetings, conferences and seminars, summarize the school year and prepare the one after it, all while the studies are not taking place.

"The result is that summer vacation is a fiction," they accused.

Now, they are demanding a retroactive payment for the wages withheld from them for the past seven years, the maximum time frame allowed by law.

The salaries of the managers are spread over all the months of the year, even though the payment is only for ten months.

The Ministry of Education is obligated to pay for all work on days off.

According to them, the overtime hours on vacation are not recorded on the pay slip, so they are deprived of social rights.

Managers explain that attending the professional events that take place in July and August is mandatory, so they have to work - and do not receive additional pay.

The lawsuit is expected to be filed in the Tel Aviv Regional Labor Court on Sunday by two directors and the "Leaders" organization, who will attach a memorandum stating that the judges' decisions will be valid for any director who wishes to join later.

They estimate that this is about NIS 250,000 per manager.

More on Walla!

Dozens of school principals against the Ministry of Education: "We will not open the year"

To the full article

"Summer vacation - fiction".

Demonstration of school principals in Tel Aviv, this week (Photo: Reuven Castro)

"The right to vacation must not be violated, especially since the employer who deliberately violates the rights of its loyal employees is the State of Israel," they wrote.

"It is not conceivable that the plaintiffs' leave would be sewn year after year without the defendant giving the verdict and immediately ceasing its actions. The purpose of the lawsuit is to put an end to the blatant exploitation."

Managers have made it clear that they understand the need for their work during the summer holidays, and therefore seek to ban their employment only between July 15 and August 15.

A leaders' organization, a non-representative organization, added that two years ago it raised the issue by contacting the director general of the Ministry of Education, Shmuel Aboav

, and asked for an answer, but the ministry's response has not been received to date.

Because "school principals work every year from June 20 or 30 to August 31 with almost no rest. It's time not to take principals for granted and their employment as 'all-inclusive'.

Orit Gur Cohen, co-chair of the organization, added: "Which profession was willing to work for free for two months a year on a regular basis?

This is what the status of school principals looks like. "

"Working almost without rest."

Demonstration of school principals in Tel Aviv, this week (Photo: Reuven Castro)

The move is a step up in the organization's struggle against the Ministry of Education.

On Sunday, they demonstrated in Habima Square in Tel Aviv together with teachers and parents and set up a mock classroom that operated throughout the week with rotating students.

Along with improving the terms of employment of principals and teachers, their demand is to take an active part in the discussions of the Ministry of Education on its programs.

Tensions over teachers' salaries intensified as the year drew to a close.

The Teachers' Union, which is cooperating with the Ministry of Education in a battle with the Ministry of Finance, announced that on Monday it will suspend classes in elementary schools starting at 1:00 PM and will go out to demonstrate in Tel Aviv.

The teachers' union has declared a labor dispute and demands its members not to award grades to students, not to hand out certificates, not to attend graduation parties and not to cooperate with the ministry.

The Ministry of Education responded that "as long as a petition is filed on the subject, the ministry will study it and it will treat it accordingly."

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