policy change
Many families have found themselves in financial trouble caused by debts to cellular phone companies because of their children’s cell phone usage. YEDID has initiated a plan to limit such usage by children under 18.
Some fifty elderly Arabs from Nazareth took part in a special meeting held by YEDID, the Association for Community Empowerment at the beginning of the week, with the participation of social work students from the Jordan Valley Community College.
In an emergency letter to Minister Sheetrit, YEDID demands the extension of the sale of apartments in public housing units until at least the end of 2006 because employees of the Amidar Public Housing Authority have been on strike.
This week, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni announced that the Justice Ministry and Finance Ministry have reached an agreement to open up a new legal aid office in Nazareth starting in 2006. The agreement comes after a letter sent by YEDID Executive Director, Sari Revkin, and Na’amat Chairman, Attorney Talia Livni, demanding a legal aid office in the city
In an urgent letter sent to the Director General of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor, YEDID Executive Director, Sari Revkin, writes: “To our astonishment, we have recently become aware of the fact that as of the end of July, the tenders for private employers have yet to be published since preparatory measures have not been completed at employment services. Furthermore, we have also learned that a request of the employment administration, from the Finance Ministry’s general account, to begin employing single mothers in the meantime through public and governmental agencies has yet to be answered.
Following complaints from single mothers and an appeal by YEDID to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Labor, employment counselors have been instructed to accept each grant request from the single mothers who have applied
After two years of difficult campaigning, the Ministry of Education finally carried out a comprehensive inspection of special education transportation in Rahat and in other Bedouin villages following demands from the parents’ committee of special education students in Rahat in conjunction with the Rahat YEDID Citizen Rights Center Director
In the lead-up to the official start of the Israeli version of the Wisconsin Plan, YEDID has found that it seems like the state has decided to make things harder for companies running the project.
Following last week’s publication on the subject, YEDID turned to Member of Knesset Ran Cohen, who quickly prepared a bill which forces public housing companies to install solar water heaters in every public housing apartment so tenants will save money on electricity bills.
The Clinic for Law and Social Change at Haifa University and YEDID have distributed a position paper on the subject of monitoring labor protection laws with an emphasis on monitoring the rights of security guards. The next stage is to raise the issue to the public agenda.
A recent YEDID survey on the subject found that most consumers encountering power bill difficulties live in public housing complexes where there are no solar water heaters but only electric water heaters
Single mothers receiving income maintenance benefits can study and still receive the benefit. A YEDID bill that was presented to the Knesset by MK Meli Polishook and Eti Livni has passed an initial vote
In August 2004, YEDID sent a letter to the Transportation Minister, Meir Shetrit. This week, Transportation Ministry officials came to YEDID with a request for assistance in preparing the master plan for public transportation in the Bedouin city of Rahat where more than 40,000 people live with any form of regular public transportation.
Labor Party Chairman, MK Eitan Cabel will promote the three bills drafted by YEDID