A group of 10 international trade unions has filed a formal complaint against Israel, accusing the country of withholding wages from over 200,000 Palestinian workers. The unions claim that Israel has violated the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) convention on the protection of wages by refusing to pay Palestinian workers for work completed before the October 7 Hamas attack. This denial of payments, according to the complaint, has plunged many Palestinian laborers into poverty.
The complaint highlights the dire situation of Palestinian workers in the wake of the conflict. It states that since the attack, Palestinian workers from the West Bank and Gaza have been barred from working in Israel, their only source of income. The complaint also details how Israel revoked the work permits of 13,000 Palestinian workers, many of whom were not even given termination notices.
The complaint specifically mentions that 200,000 workers have been unable to enter Israel since the attack, meaning they have been unable to earn a living. The unions argue that these workers should have been paid their salaries by October 9, as per normal procedures.
The complaint seeks to recover the unpaid dues of Palestinian workers, with the unions demanding accountability from Israel for its alleged violation of international labor standards. Assaf Adiv, the executive director of the Maan Workers Association, told The Guardian, “Two hundred thousand workers in the West Bank lost their jobs. 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 doesn’t associate with Hamas and thus should not be punished.”
The average daily wage for Palestinian workers in Israel was estimated by the ILO to be 297.30 shekels (approximately $79), with weekly earnings ranging between 2,100 and 2,600 shekels ($565 to $700). The loss of income has had a devastating impact on these families, leaving many struggling to cover basic needs. Khaled Jamal Muhammad Karkash, a Palestinian worker, said, “When the war started, we returned home during the initial phase of the conflict. Since then, we haven’t received any salaries or found any work.” He added, “Since the first war, I’ve only been working four days a month, just enough to cover basic necessities like bread and oil. I was engaged before the war, but now, I’ve not finished building my house, I can’t afford to get married.”
