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Journalism of Courage
An Indian woman employed as a nursing aide in Israel is claiming damages of Rs 14.2 lakh from her ex-employers for salary owed over three years and compensation for unpaid work, recreation leave and other benefits.
In her submission to the Jerusalem Labour Court, Sofie Thomas (30), a resident of Kochi in Kerala, has decided to sue Joseph Oron and his family for forcing her to work under conditions approaching slavery and exploiting her while she was a nursing aide to his mother Esther, and later as a domestic and child-care help to his family.
She came to Israel in January 2000 at Oron’s invitation and a promised monthly salary of $100 and nursed his aged mother at Moshav Taoz, until her death in March 2000. After that, for the next 15 months, Thomas was a domestic help for Oron’s sister Dorit Josef Solomian. She took care of her two infants.
‘‘I went out only to dispose off the garbage. I didn’t even know how the Moshav looked like, didn’t meet anybody,’’ she said. In June 2001, she sought permission to return to Kochi and was given $1,500 in cash as payment for the entire period. In her second spell, she was sent to nurse Suha Dor, mother-in-law of Oron’s daughter, Ayelet. Her hours were longer here. Nine-and-half months later, she returned to India with a lumpsum paid at a monthly rate of $160.
In their submission to the labour court, the defendants denied most of Thomas’s charges. They said she still owed them $2,800 in travel expenses between India and Israel. Both sides have been instructed to appear on December 17.PTI)
