The American intention to employ foreign labor in the construction of two new military air bases in the Negev has Histadrut officials worried. The U.S. plans to bring some 2500 foreign workers to Israel, probably from South Korea or other countries, to work on the airfield that the U.S. will finance.
Yeruham Meshel, Secretary General of Histadrut, has no objection to foreign labor. But at a meeting with Defense Minister Ezer Weizman who signed the construction agreement with Pentagon officials last week, he insisted the employment of any workers, Israeli or foreign, must be coordinated with Histadrut. He said the labor federation has international obligations and agreements to safeguard the rights of any workers in Israel.
Meshel also has met with two senior American officers, one from the U.S. Air Force and the other from the Defense Department. He explained that Israel’s economy would be harmed if Israeli workers were lured by higher pay away from their regular jobs to work in the Negev. He said the hiring of workers from the Israeli labor market should not be on an individual basis but through existing agencies in consultation with Histadrut. The latter, he said, must be involved in setting the terms of employment. Weizman has reportedly assured Meshel that his agreement with the Pentagon does not preclude this.
Meanwhile, Israel Goralnik, director general of the Labor and Social Affairs Ministry, has warned that the manpower shortage in Israel’s construction industry threatens the successful redeployment of the Israel army once it evacuates Sinai. He said foreign labor would be unavoidable and their recruitments must be carried out in an orderly manner, bearing in mind that they are only temporary works. Goralnik said a special team will be appointed to deal with work permits for all foreign laborers. The team-will take into account the social aspects of the employment of foreigners for as long as they remain in Israel.
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