Two weeks after "Globes" disclosed a deal between the Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel) and Thai authorities, Trade Union Division chairman Avi Nissenkorn ordered all activity related to the recruitment of Thai workers to be suspended. 

The agreement stated that a Thai worker wanting to work in agriculture in Israel would be asked to first join the Histadrut and pay NIS 1,580 in advance, before leaving Thailand. The payment was to pay for five years representation by the Histadrut. 

The agreement raised concerns that it was a trick aimed at blocking foreign workers from joining other trade unions in Israel. 

The Histadrut today admitted that the agreement was a very bad one, and that the union is trying to build an organized structure for handling foreign workers. The sources added that foreign workers should pay union fees when they are in Israel, not abroad. 


Beyond Absurdity: Thai workers in Israel to prepay five years worth of union fees
By Hannah Zohar, Kav LaOved

How great was our surprise, when we discovered that the Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel) has joined employers, placement agencies, and the government, and has become yet another institution that seeks to benefit from the presence of Thai migrant workers in Israel. In his Globes article dated May 5, 2010, Shai Nir reported that "foreign workers will join the Histadrut and pay 1,580 shekels". This payment, it was written, is to be paid in exchange for five years of representation by the Histadrut (Israeli general federation of trade unions).

During the past several months, Thai migrant worker have complained to Kav LaOved about the additional payments they are forced to pay in Thailand, on top of to the to exorbitant mediation fees that they are already required to pay. The illegally charged mediation fees that provide the migrant worker with their coveted B/1 work permits currently amount to between $8000 and $12,000.

According to Shai Nir's report, the idea of collecting membership fees was conceived by Mr. Gershon Gelman, chairman of the Tel Aviv District of the Histadrut, who initiated contacts with the Thai prime minister. Thus began the collection process.
Fearing the patterns and norms that the Histadrut is introducing into work relations in Israel, representatives of Kav LaOved approached Attorney Shlomo Yitzhaki, Head of Labor Relations Division in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor, in order to protect the helpless workers who are unable to oppose this charge.

Several days later, a response was received to the effect that "the Head of the Trade Unions Division has decided to freeze all actions related to the said agreement and has informed all involved parties of this decision". It should be noted that according to rough estimates, the Histadrut stands to lose a sum of 8 million shekels per year due to the freezing of the dubious collection process.