The manufacturers association and the Histadrut national union are to sign on Friday an agreement that for the first time will cover one million workers with pensions. The accord will take effect next February and cover self-employed people and trade workers who until now have had no old-age financial protection.

The workers will contribute one-third of the money for the pensions, with the employers taking up the slack. However, the pact does not give any pension protection to employment agency workers or to external lecturers whom colleges who often fire at the end of the school year and then re-hire in order to avoid paying out benefits.