migrant workers

Farmers and manpower contractors oppose an initiative for supervised importation of migrant laborers by the International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Article by Erez Wagner published on The Marker

In a meeting of the parliamentary committee on foreign workers on July 6 2009, it turned out that the farmers' lobby and the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce, has put an enormous pressure against signing an agreement with the IOM for supervision on the importation of Thai migrant laborers to Israel. This, in turn, would provide a solution to labour trafficking.

The discussion revolved around attempts by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to bring into effect a triple agreement between the Israeli and Thai governments, and the IOM. According to the agreement, the IOM was intended to supervise all recruitment procedures of Thai laborers, including interviewing and performing medical checks, thus limiting commissions charged from the laborers. However, manpower contractors, the farmer's lobby and the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce, are trying to ward off the ratification of this agreement.

The meeting was participated by representatives of the Ministry of Interior Affairs and its subsidiary, the Immigration Authority, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Trade, Labour and Commerce, the Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs, as well as the Economic Crimes Department of the Israel Police Force. The representatives presented an overview of Israel's attempts to extirpate labour trafficking by means of legislation, investigations, as far as closing down manpower agencies accused of trafficking. They all observed, however, that without an agreement forbidding manpower agencies from charging laborers with commissions at the country of origin, all their efforts are in vain.

Committee members discussed a report by the American State Department on trafficking, according to which Israel has taken considerable measures against labour trafficking. Nonetheless, it still does not meet the minimal standards set for fighting such form of trafficking. The report recommends stricter criminal enforcement against parties involved in trafficking, especially when it comes to the hefty commissions paid by migrant laborers in their countries of origin.

The commissions charged from Thai laborers prior to their arrival to Israel, range from 8000$ to 12,000$. Namely, 10 years' salary. According to vice commissioner Dorit Ben Meir of the Economic Crime Department (subsidiary of the Israeli Police Force), manpower agencies and their local accomplices in the laborers' home countries, share the enormous commissions paid by the laborers, thus enabling Israeli farmers to enjoy cheap and submissive workforce. As long as this abusive and illegal practice continues to prevail, there is no chance of putting an end to daylight labour trafficking with the government's approval.

Such an agreement would not only contribute to a permanent solution to labour trafficking, but is also expected to set substantial supervision by the state on the demand for migrant laborers by employers. Furthermore, supervision would trial employers' claim that local laborers have zero interest working in agriculture and construction. WAC's stance, based on field work and placement of Arab women to low-skill jobs in agriculture, holds that employers prefer migrant to local laborers, as the former are a cheap and easily exploitable workforce. A revolutionary agreement of this kind could contribute to higher workforce participation, especially among Arab women whose pervasive unemployment rates amount to a whopping figure of 82%.

According to a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs present at the discussion, "The head of the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce, Uriel Lin, has put an enormous pressure on the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, to ward off the agreement". Jacob Katz, head of the Committee, cited MP Jacob Shai of Kadima, owners of an agricultural farm, who noted that the "Farmers are not interested in signing an agreement with the IMO, and would rather stick to the current state of importing laborers by manpower agencies".

The joint lobby of farmers and manpower contractors holds great sway over the Israeli government, which has recently approved a resolution to allow in additional migrant laborers, despite the growing unemployment rates.

WAC struggles against labour trafficking, calling for the enforcement of labour laws as well as reducing the number of migrant laborers in Israel.