Summary

Labor sectors prone to human trafficking are often characterized either by their exclusion from protective employment legislation or by severe problems of enforcement of labor and employment law. In recent weeks the question whether labor and employment laws – and specifically the minimum wage – should apply to migrant workers, was raised among Israeli policy makers. In this event we will explore the possible implications of such an exclusion, and the issue of universal vs. selective application of labor and employment rights, with a focus on minimum wage laws. 
In his talk Rogers will contend with the common view in legal academic debate that minimum wage laws are not just because they increase unemployment and cause other inefficiencies. Accepting for the sake of argument that minimum wage laws have such economic effects, Rogers will, nevertheless, defend them on grounds of justice. He will argue that a just state will not just redistribute resources, but will also enable citizens to relate to one another as equals. The roundtable panel will reflect on Rogers argument and discuss issues of the application, enforcement and distributive effects of minimum wage and other protective employment legislation in Israel.