Approximately four months after the signing of the precedential collective agreement for regulating the rights of crane operators, Labour and Welfare Minister Haim Katz signed the extension order that applies the conditions of the agreement immediately to all the crane operators and tower crane operators who are employed in the sector. For the Chairman of the Construction and Wood Workers’ Union, Yitzhak Moyal: "The crane operators can breathe easy".
According to an agreement signed in April between Nissenkorn, Brick, and Chairman of the Construction and Wood Workers’ Union Yitzhak Moyal, with the signing of the extension order and its publication, the minimum wage for crane operators will stand at NIS 49 (approximately US$13.73) an hour, and in approximately a year and a half, the wage will increase to NIS 52 (approximately US$14.57) an hour. An additional increment for effort due to height and isolation amounting to NIS 3.5 (approximately US$0.98) an hour will be added to this.
In addition, the workers will be entitled to a study fund already from their first day of work, with the employer allocations standing at 5% (and 2.5% on account of the worker). The agreement even regulates a special risk increment at the amount of NIS 4 (approximately US$1.12) an hour during a special situation on the home front and participation in travel expenses in a sum that is double the amount set in the general extension order on this matter.
An additional subject that was regulated in the crane operators' agreement, and will apply as stated from now on to all the workers with the publication of the order, is improving the physical work environment of the crane operators, with an emphasis on improving health and safety. The parties will work together to train local workers for the signal person and crane spotter professions, via holding special vocational training. In parallel to this, the parties will jointly appeal to the relevant authorities in order to prevent the forgery of crane operator licenses and in order to regulate the field of crane companies.