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"Afraid we won't get what we deserve": Palestinian workers in Israel threaten to protest Israel today

2022-12-29T11:02:44.971Z


From the beginning of January there will be an obligation to pay the salaries of the Palestinian workers employed in Israel through the banks • The move is supposed to fight the phenomenon of spoliation in permits and the black market of cash, but not everyone is convinced of the effectiveness of the new mechanism • Palestinian workers: "It is better that the wages go through in an orderly manner, but they are afraid that we will not get what we deserve "


In a few days, the new mechanism for paying the salaries of Palestinian workers from Judea and Samaria employed in Israel will go into effect.

According to the new guidelines announced by Israel, starting next month, there will be an obligation to pay the salaries of the Palestinian workers through bank transfers to their bank accounts, and cash payments will not be allowed.

According to the system that has been practiced until now, a significant part of the Palestinian workers received money in cash at the end of the working day or once a week directly from the Israeli employer.

At the beginning of August, the Israeli authorities, with the support of Palestinian Authority officials, announced preparations for the transition to the new payment method through the Palestinian banks.

The move caused great anger among the workers due to fear that the Palestinian banks would deduct taxes from their wages and collect sums of money and commissions.

Thousands then went on strike and held protest vigils in front of the Tarkumiya crossing in Hebron and the Tulkarm crossing.

The end of cash (illustration), photo: Roni Shitzer

"Until now, many workers do not understand how it will be implemented and what will happen," Bedavi Abu Javaid, a resident of the town of Dora south of Hebron, who works in Israel in the field of renovations, told Israel Hayom.

"I hope that there will be no exploitation of workers and that this will really come to protect them. At first there was great resistance both because it is new to people and they have not experienced it before, and also because there is no trust in the parties that decided on it."

"There is not a single party that talks to the workers and explains the details to them in an orderly manner, all of this creates fear that the worker will not get what he deserves. If our salaries are affected, we will go back to strike, and we will take steps to regain our rights. I hope that we will not get to that in the time frame In the near future, in principle, it is better that the salary goes through in an orderly manner, it can serve the employees, but on the other hand there is uncertainty, and people are still worried."

The money will only go through the banks.

Palestinian laborers crossing into Israeli territory, photo: Oren Cohen

Another concern raised by the workers is that the Palestinian banks will use the income from their salaries as a means of collection to cover unpaid debts.

As part of the procedure to start the new payment mechanism, every Palestinian employee is required to provide his bank account details, and his consent to the procedure.

These will be a condition for renewing the validity of the Israeli work permit issued to him.

Many who initially resisted, did so out of choice, understanding that otherwise, they would not be paid or would not be given a permit.

It should be noted that in recent months some employers and employees have already switched to the new payment method.

"Not all the workers work under their original employer, the one who is registered as the one who employs them and received a work permit for them, and is supposed to pay them their salary," said a Palestinian contractor whose workers are employed in Israel.

"There are employers who have declared a certain number of workers and received permits for them, but in practice they do not need all the workers and there is a surplus, and then they sell the remaining work permits to job seekers. There are many times a situation that works only by buying a work permit from an employer and paying him an amount of about 2,500 shekel every month, but he doesn't really work for him, but goes to work in other places, in all sorts of casual things he manages to find, for example selling flowers or unloading goods, where he receives cash. Workers of this type will have a problem with the introduction of the new system," he explained to "Israel" Today" Palestinian contractor.

Her wife, the Palestinian Prime Minister.

"Announced that no taxes will be imposed, but this does not mean that every future prime minister will be obliged to do so," Photo: Reuters

According to Assaf Adib, CEO of "Maen - Workers' Organization", the anarchy in the field of payments and the black market that has been created over the years does not serve the workers, and that the move should bring order and transparency. However, he noted that the suspension of permits will most likely not stop completely. "The new mandatory provision The transfer of wages through bank accounts instead of cash was originally intended against the phenomenon of trade in permits.

This is a necessary step, although it is clear that it will not succeed in putting an end to the criminal trade of some contractors.

The fear of workers from this march is clear, since these are people who are subject to exploitation and severe harm from various institutions both in Israel and in the Palestinian Authority," he said.

The Palestinian government said that "every employee's account is private and no one will touch it."

However, this in itself did not allay concerns completely.

Many workers still doubt their government's commitment not to deduct sums of money from their wages, and question the effectiveness of the move.

"Prime Minister Eshtia announced that taxes will not be imposed, but this does not mean that every future prime minister will be obliged to do so," they said.

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Source: israelhayom

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