The light rail works on the Jabotinsky route, April 29, 2021/Reuben Castro
In response to the severe manpower crisis in the construction and infrastructure industry since the beginning of the Iron Swords War: this morning (Sunday), the government approved the proposal of the decision-makers submitted by the Minister of Transportation, Miri Regev, on the issue of foreign workers, with the aim of allowing the continuation of infrastructure projects during the war and maintaining functional continuity.
As part of the approved proposal, the foreign workers who will be recruited to work in infrastructure construction will be professionally examined by the Ministry of Transportation before their arrival in Israel.
According to the decision, a control mechanism will be activated to ensure the arrival of skilled workers in the infrastructure professions.
In addition, the decision directs the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Population and Immigration Authority, in cooperation with the other relevant ministries, to act as quickly as possible to implement existing bilateral agreements and enter into new bilateral arrangements and agreements in a quick procedure with the aim of enabling the implementation of this decision and speeding up the arrival of foreign workers in the infrastructure professions.
In recent times, ministers in the relevant ministries, economy, labor and transportation, have criticized the fact that not enough efforts are being made by government officials to bring in foreign workers.
Regev, who as mentioned submitted the proposal of the decision-makers on the issue, claimed that this matter even intensified during her visit to Sri Lanka and India, where skilled workers are expected to come to Israel but the bureaucracy stops them.
"The government's duty is to lead moves that will dramatically shorten the waiting time for all foreign workers"
Similar to the severe manpower crisis in the construction industry since the beginning of the Iron Swords War, the infrastructure industry has also been damaged by the termination of the employment of approximately 90,000 Palestinian workers who were employed in the construction industry in Israel, including in infrastructure construction.
The government understands that the situation requires bringing in foreign workers as quickly as possible.
The Haaretz Builders Contractors Association welcomes the government's approval of the decision-makers' proposal that allows the hiring of foreign workers for the infrastructure sector in addition to the hiring of foreign workers for construction.
This decision is important for the branch's ability to function and becomes critical, in light of the urgent need to prevent the continued delay created in the establishment of infrastructure of all types, throughout the country, along with the expected need to restore infrastructure in the Gaza Envelope and the northern border.
However, the association emphasized that after four months in which the state fails to produce a solution to quickly bring foreign workers to Israel, and to utilize the full quota of foreign workers who have already been tested and are ready to come to Israel - the government's duty is to lead moves that will dramatically shorten the waiting time for all foreign workers in the construction industry and the infrastructure.
The whole economy depends on them.
More on the same topic:
real estate
infrastructures
Miri Regev