Ten trade unions have accused Israel of breaching international labor laws by withholding wages and benefits from over 200,000 Palestinian workers since October 7. The unions claim that the Israeli government has committed serious violations of the International Labour Organization's (ILO) wage protection standards, which has led many Palestinians into severe poverty.
According to the unions, Palestinian workers from Gaza and the West Bank who were employed in Israel have not received payment for their work completed before October 7. This date marks an attack by Hamas militants that resulted in the deaths of nearly 1,200 people in southern Israel, followed by an Israeli military response in Gaza that has claimed over 41,000 Palestinian lives and caused widespread destruction.
A complaint filed on Friday aims to recover wages for the affected Palestinian workers. Assaf Adiv, the executive director of the Maan Workers Association, noted that approximately 200,000 workers in the West Bank have lost their jobs and have not received any compensation, forcing them into extreme poverty.
“Thousands of workers who risk entering Israel without permits face repression, humiliation, and even death. Workers are a major social layer in Palestinian society that is peaceful and shouldn’t be punished,” Adiv stated.
The ILO estimated that Palestinian workers in Israel earned an average daily wage of 297.30 shekels ($79), with weekly wages between 2,100 and 2,600 shekels ($565-$700). Following the October 7 attack, Israel revoked work permits for about 13,000 Palestinian workers from Gaza, leaving them with unpaid wages from September and October. An additional nearly 200,000 workers from the West Bank have also been unable to enter Israel and have not received termination notices, leaving them owed wages as stipulated in their contracts.
The unions argue that Israel's actions violate the ILO’s wage protection convention, ratified by over 100 member states, including Israel in 1959. A May report from the ILO indicated that unemployment among Palestinians has reached an all-time high since October 7, with economic losses estimated at nearly $19 million per day in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Palestinian workers like Khaled Jamal Muhammad Karkash and Mahmoud Salhab have expressed their struggles, with Karkash stating, “We haven’t received any salaries or found any work. I’m the breadwinner for my family.” Salhab shared that despite having a four-year degree, he has been unable to secure steady employment since October.
The ILO reports that more than 500,000 jobs have been lost in Gaza and the West Bank, worsening an already difficult economic situation for Palestinians. Luc Triangle, the general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, emphasized the need for back pay for workers struggling to survive amid ongoing conflict.
The unions behind the complaint represent approximately 207 million workers across more than 160 countries and include various international labor organizations.
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