Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1992, published 79th ILC session (1992)

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - Israel (Ratification: 1959)

The Committee notes the Government's report for the years 1988-89 and the information supplied in reply to its previous direct request.

1. The Committee notes the information on the activities of the Women's Employment Branch of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs which, according to the Government, has embarked upon a programme of promotion, information and education concerning the new 1988 Employment (Equal Opportunities) Law. This information also covers investigations of cases of discrimination against women and includes statistics for 1988 on the employment of women in Israel, although no reference is made to whether the statistics refer to women belonging to the Jewish population or to one of the non-Jewish minorities.

The Committee recalls its previous request concerning the scope and practical application of section 2(c) of the above new Law, which provides that differential treatment necessitated by the character or nature of the assignment or post shall not be regarded as discrimination. It hopes that the Government will supply information on this point with its next report.

2. The Committee notes that the participation rate of women in the labour force increased by 11 per cent between 1985 and 1988, whereas it previously noted that this participation rate had remained unchanged between 1983 and 1985 (at 38 per cent). The Committee hopes that the new measures taken following the adoption of the new Employment (Equal Opportunities) Law will promote a continuance or an accentuation of this trend and that the Government will continue to supply detailed information in this respect.

With regard to the participation of women in vocational training courses, the Committee notes that the Government will supply separately the information requested by the Committee in 1990. The Committee hopes that this information will cover any new measures that have been taken to facilitate the access of women to education and vocational training and the results achieved in this respect, with regard to both women belonging to the Jewish population (irrespective of their country of origin) or to one of the non-Jewish minorities.

3. The Committee requested the Government to supply information on the secondary education, higher technical training and university education of members of minority groups of the population and on their percentage in relation to persons belonging to the Jewish population that have followed the same education. Although it notes the statistics that were supplied concerning the non-Jewish population, it requests the Government to indicate their percentage in relation to the Jewish population.

Furthermore, the Committee recalls that under the terms of Article 2 of the Convention, the Government is bound to declare and pursue a national policy designed to promote equality of opportunity and treatment in respect of employment and occupation. It noted in its previous comments that, for example, the number of non-Jewish persons occupying managerial and trustworthy positions was lower than the number of Jewish workers, both in respect of scientific, academic and other professional, technical and similar workers and of the category of clerical and similar workers. The Committee would therefore be grateful to know how the Government applies a national policy of equality of opportunity and treatment in respect of minority groups, such as Arab citizens, and the measures that have been taken, where appropriate, to promote effective access to education, vocational training and employment for persons belonging to these groups, and to remedy de facto inequalities, as well as the results that have been achieved.

4. The Committee hopes that the Government will furnish translations of judicial decisions rendered in cases of appeals lodged before the various appeals bodies under the terms of section 43 of the Employment Service Law, the transmittal of which had been delayed for technical reasons.

5. With regard to the draft Bill of Rights, which was intended to formally enshrine the national policy for the elimination of any discrimination on grounds that correspond to those enumerated in the Convention, the Committee notes that, according to the Government's report, the draft Bill has remained at its initial stage. The Committee hopes that the Government will be in a position to supply further information in its next report.