Chairman of the Histadrut Arnon Bar–david and Chairman of the Presidium of the Business Sector Dubi Amitai signed yesterday on a new collective agreement to update the convalescence pay rate for workers in the private sector. According to the agreement, the daily rate will be updated from NIS 418 to NIS 451.5 per day. The implementation of the move and its entry into force for all employers and workers in the economy are contingent upon the signing of an extension order by the Minister of Labor, Yariv Levin.

Concurrently, and in accordance with the update to the Consumer Price Index, the convalescence pay allowance for workers in the public sector was updated to NIS 511.6 per day, compared to a rate of NIS 471.4 per day recorded over the last three years.

The current update is expected to yield an addition of hundreds of shekels a year for a worker in an annual calculation. According to estimates, between two to three million workers in the economy may benefit from the rate increase. This move comes after two years in which convalescence pay rates were frozen and even one convalescence day was reduced from workers, and this following the "Swords of Iron" war. The agreement signed between the parties has already been transferred to the Ministry of Labor for the purpose of approving the extension order, while the background to the demand for applying the agreement to the entire economy stems, among other things, from the rise in the index level and the cost of living.

Chairman of the Histadrut, Arnon Bar–david, stated upon the signing: "After two years in which the female and male workers in Israel bore the burden and took part in the national effort during the war period, the time has come to return to them. The agreement we signed with the Presidium of the Business Sector will allow workers to benefit from an update to the convalescence pay rate in accordance with the rise in the index and the cost of living. This is significant news for millions of workers in the economy, which will help ease, if even a little, the expenses of households. I thank my friend, Dubi Amitai, Chairman of the Presidium of the Business Sector for the cooperation and call upon the Ministry of Labor to complete the expansion of the agreement by order as soon as possible, so that the addition will apply to all workers in the economy."

Chairman of the Presidium of the Business Sector, Dubi Amitai, added: "The agreement signed today corrects an injustice created toward private sector workers, who were under the stretcher throughout the entire war period and continued to sustain the economic activity of the economy even in the most complex days. The update of convalescence pay reflects recognition of their contribution. I am glad we managed to reach agreements at this time and thank my friend, Arnon Bar–david, Chairman of the Histadrut, for the partnership and joint work for the benefit of employers, workers, and the entire Israeli economy."