The Knesset Finance Committee approved a bill on Monday that would allow secular employees to refuse working on their religion's day of rest, regardless of their level of religious observance.
If the Knesset passes the bill into into law, a special ministerial committee will be formed to handle exemption requests by factories seeking to waive the rights of their employees to refuse to work on Shabbat. Such a waiver will be granted if it is deemed the factory's production would be significantly compromised by the employee stopping work on his religion's day of rest.
Uriel Lynn, the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce president, expressed his opposition to the bill.
"It is unreasonable to grant this right through corrupt bureaucracy, with the burden and cost being placed on the business sector. The bill in its current version is flawed and unbalanced."
