A workshop for agricultural workers employed in Israeli settlements in the Jordan Valley was held on Saturday, August 20, 2008 as part of a joint initiative of Kav LaOved and the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions in the Toubas area. One hundred and twenty five workers from Tamun and the surrounding villages took part in the meet.

During the meeting, the workers raised the following issues:

Half of the agriculture workers are employed without work permits, and enter the Jordan Valley area without a permit. The workers earn between 40 and 60 shekels per day. Most of them are employed through contractors, and some of these contractors have even started to act as employers themselves.

The workers have no written proof of their employments save their work permit, which only some have. Most workers are employed as "temporary" workers and are transferred between the different employers according to the season.

The workers called attention to the breach of their rights, which stems both from their ignorance regarding labor laws and from the conduct of the Palestinian contractors and the fierce competition among them over the few existing work places. workers said that any protest against their employment terms could cause render them unemployed. The workers have no coverage in case of work-related accidents or illness. They receive no guidance regarding work safety and the risks that are involved in handling the pesticides they work with.


Ibrahim Dar’ama: Laborers' losses amount to one billion Israeli Shekels

In his address, Ibrahim Dar’ama, chairman of the Trade Unions branch, concentrated on the importance of the meeting in light of the breach of the agriculture workers' rights. He commented that the value of the wages and social benefits of Palestinian workers in the settlements amounts to over one billion Israeli Shekels but that due to general neglect, these rights are "scattered in the wind" and lost.

Dar'ama added that "there is a barrier of fear among the workers, when it comes to their employment in the settlements. It is necessary to overcome this barrier. It is important that the workers know what their legal rights are, and it is important that they claim these rights using the means permitted by law".

Dar'ama warned against the danger of Palestinian personnel contractors becoming employers by signing the work permits themselves or by taking on the responsibility for paying taxes – an action that will relieve the Israeli employers of the responsibility for the breach of the worker rights.

In his conclusion, Dar'ama emphasized the importance of the collaboration between the workers, Trade Unions and Kav LaOved with the objective of finding a solution to the workers' problems.


The true battle over employment permits

In his remarks, Arafat Amro, Kav LaOved local coordinator, emphasized the importance of the workers recording their work hours with the objective of providing proof for the workers' demands from their employers. On the question of work-related accidents, Amro said that the injured worker must approach the Israeli National Insurance Institute within one year of the accident so that his or her right to compensation from the Institute does not expire.

Amro called to refrain from giving in to the phenomenon of contractors-middlemen turned employers. He also emphasized the importance of demanding the right for appropriate protection and safety means at the work place, and called on the workers to see to it that they undergo regular medical examinations.

All parties present agreed as to the importance of addressing the workers' situation in the area, of supporting the workers and of holding similar meetings in order to reach all workers employed in the settlements.