Tower crane operator Keti
In 2016 the Israeli tower crane operator Keti Karolov got fired after refusing to continue working in stormy weather. Now, a court has ruled the dismissal illegal and that her employer violated safety rules.
The Regional Labour Court in Beersheba ruled that the company Machluf Bechor and Sons Ltd. violated its duty to comply with the safety instructions and fired the crane operator Keti Karkolov out of irrelevant considerations and since she insisted on her right to protect her life and health. The court ordered the employer to compensate Karkolov with the equivalent of 16,529 USD.
Avi Nissenkorn, who is the chairman of the Israeli union Histadrut, welcomed the decision: "The struggle to protect safety in all professions and industries is a struggle that the whole Israeli society should care about,” he said.
It was further determined that the company didn't perform tests as required on the crane on which the worker worked, and didn't provide the required personal protective equipment. The court determined that an employer or the person responsible for work in the place must take any action to reduce the risk to the workers' lives.