Factsheet on Palestine for Trade Unions
[Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, October 2011]

The Apartheid Wall has been deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice, yet the international community has done nothing to halt its encroachment on Palestinian land. Palestinian workers and farmers have been the most effected by the ongoing construction of the wall, thus we reach out to trade unions, invoking the best practices of trade union solidarity and internationalism under the tried and true union slogan of ‘an injury to one is an injury to all!’. We implore workers around the world in the spirit of the South African Anti-Apartheid struggle, where trade union solidarity was critical, to raise awareness within their unions and workplaces about the daily violations Palestinian workers and farmers have to endure. Help us expose the companies complicit in the construction of the Apartheid Wall.
[Click link above for full report]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2011 ITUC Annual Survey of violations of trade union rights – Palestine

The exercise of freedom of association or collective bargaining remains very difficult for most Palestinian workers, especially in Gaza. One trade union leader was sacked and another one detained during the year. The law does not yet cover all trade union rights.
[Click link above for full report]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2011 ITUC Annual Survey of violations of trade union rights – Israel

Palestinian workers in Israel, even with permits, are often subject to abuse, illegal detentions and deportations while Israeli Arabs are subject to extensive employment-related discrimination. Most employers breach the labour law, and the right to strike is coupled with restrictions. There were still many major strikes during the year, but strikers were retaliated against.
[Click link above for full report]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2011 ILO Annual Report on the situation of workers in the occupied Arab territories

The annual report of the International Labour Office (ILO) on the situation of workers of the occupied Arab territories calls for replacing the current security logic “with a development logic, based on a long-term vision of the economic, employment and human security interests of all the women and men in the region.”

According to the report, despite some improvements in the movement of people, no significant change to the better regarding the situation of these workers has taken place during the past year. The report notes that such change cannot take place “unless the restrictions imposed by the Israeli occupation, and the occupation itself, are removed.”
[Click the link above for the full report, statistics, and video presentation]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

December 2010: BDS Manual

This 66-page manual outlining the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign has been published by the Melbourne-based group, Australians for Palestine, and provides an excellent introductory guide to the campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

December 2010: Working for Survival: Labour conditions of Palestinians working in settlements

Kav LaOved (Workers’ Hotline) is a nonprofit non-governmental organization committed to protecting the rights of disadvantaged workers employed in Israel and by Israelis in the Occupied Territories, including low-income Israeli workers, Palestinians, migrant workers, subcontracted workers and new immigrants.

“Working for Survival” is their latest report on the working conditions for Palestinians working in the illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Click the link above to view the full report on the Kav LaOved website.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

October 2010: Economic and Physical Oppression: The Wall, The Occupation and Palestinian Workers

This case study from premier Palestinian legal and human right organisation, Al Haq, focuses on human rights violations against Palestinian workers attempting to enter Israel without a permit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Principles for Responsible Investment

The United Nations-backed Principles for Responsible Investment Initiative (PRI) is a network of international investors working together to put the six Principles for Responsible Investment into practice.

The Principles were devised by the investment community. They reflect the view that environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues can affect the performance of investment portfolios and therefore must be given appropriate consideration by investors if they are to fulfil their fiduciary (or equivalent) duty. The Principles provide a voluntary framework by which all investors can incorporate ESG issues into their decision-making and ownership practices and so better align their objectives with those of society at large.

The PRI Initiative was created in 2006 after the launch of the Principles to help investors to implement the Principles. The Initiative is managed by the PRI Secretariat and supports investors by sharing best practice, facilitating collaboration and managing a variety of work streams. The Initiative is incorporated as a registered charity based in the United Kingdom. The Initiative is funded by an annual subscription fee introduced for all signatories (from 2011). This fee is on a sliding scale according to the relative size of the investor and their signatory type.

A number of Australian industry superannuation funds are signatory to the PRI initiative.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

September 2010: The Labour Sector in Palestine
By Shaher Saed, Secretary General, Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions

The September issue of the monthly magazine, This Week in Palestine, looks at labour in Palestine.  There are various articles and interviews on labour issues for Palestinian workers, including women workers.  We highlight here an article written by Mr Shaher Saed of the PGFTU.
Click on the headline above to access the article.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2010 ILO Annual Report on the situation for workers of the occupied Arab territories

The annual report of the International Labour Office (ILO) on the situation of workers of the occupied Arab territories shows some improvement in the economic situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory although the latter remains precarious, particularly in Gaza.

“The bleak economic, social and humanitarian situation in the occupied Arab territories, creates an environment in which workers’ rights and human dignity continue to be violated on a daily basis”, ILO Director-General Juan Somavia said, adding that “in the absence of other opportunities, many Palestinians are bound to seek work in the informal economy, often at the price of precarious working conditions and poor labour protection”. [click link above for press release and full report]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2010 ITUC Annual Survey of violations of trade union rights – Palestine

The exercise of freedom of association or collective bargaining remain extremely difficult for most Palestinians workers, especially in Gaza. One trade union leader was sacked and another one detained. Peaceful May Day demonstrations were broken up by soldiers. The law does not yet cover all trade union rights. [click link above for full report]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2010 ITUC Annual Survey of violations of trade union rights – Israel

There were many strikes during the year in all sectors although the labour courts often issue back-to-work orders in various sectors. Palestinian workers in Israel, even with permits, are hounded by the authorities and are often subject to abuse, illegal detentions and deportations while Israeli Arabs are subject to extensive employment-related discrimination. Most employers breach the labour law, and the right to strike is coupled with restrictions. [click link above for full report]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

March 2010: Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA Study Tour to the Middle East
Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA is the overseas humanitarian aid agency of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU).  In its first study tour to the Middle East since 2002, Union Aid Abroad–APHEDA led a delegation of trade union officials and members to the region between 1-15 March 2010.

The Study Tour had two objectives:

• To learn about the situation for Palestinian and Israeli workers and trade unions;
• To visit Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA’s aid program with Palestinian refugees and communities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Lebanon.

The delegation consisted of 13 participants, and visited Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and the Occupied Palestinian Territory (West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip).  [click here for full report of the tour]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

March 2010: Palestinian Workers in Israeli West Bank Settlements – 2009

Kav LaOved (Workers’ Hotline) is a nonprofit non-governmental organization committed to protecting the rights of disadvantaged workers employed in Israel and by Israelis in the Occupied Territories, including low-income Israeli workers, Palestinians, migrant workers, subcontracted workers and new immigrants. These workers often face severe violations by employers and a lack of enforcement of Israeli labor laws by Israeli authorities. Each category of workers experiences unique challenges; a comparative perspective reveals that the levels of exploitation are different in each sector.

Palestinian workers employed in West Bank settlements suffer from hardships stemming not only from problematic employer-employee relationships but also from political and social realities which make their situation even more difficult. According to a 2009 ILO report addressing the conditions of Palestinian workers in the Occupied Territories, the employment rate of workers over 15 years of age in the West Bank was a little over 34% at the end of 2008. About half of the workforce is between the ages of 15-29. Their employment opportunities are very limited. Half of the 15-29 age group in the Occupied Territories is not enrolled in an educational institution and is unemployed. The report calls this situation “A waste of valuable workforce.” The report notes that the average income in Israel is 20% higher than the average income in the Occupied Territories. The decrease in Palestinians’ sources of income, which is reflected in the decline in income and economic activity, is to a large extent a result of the continuation of closures and restrictions on movement imposed by Israel.

The difficult economic situation and high unemployment lead Palestinians to work in the settlements. In principle, the workers believe that the settlements were built on Palestinian land, but the harsh economic reality and the lack of alternatives force them to inadvertently facilitate settlement growth. This political paradox impacts the question of the legal and political status of the settlements: Does the application of Israeli labor laws in employment of Palestinians in settlements constitute implicit acceptance of the settlements? Some in Israel believe that a complete boycott of the settlements is the best strategy. Kav LaOved, together with its partners in the Palestinian labor unions, try to help those workers who are already employed in the settlements achieve decent work conditions as guaranteed by Israeli law.   [click here for full Kav LaOved report]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

January 2009: Justice in the News: A response to Targeting of Media in Gaza
Report of International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Solidarity Mission to Gaza, 21-23 January 2009

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

October 2008: Child Labour in Palestine
A Special Report from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)

There is no clear definition of street children used in the Palestinian territories. Although they are sometimes referred to as “One Shekel Kids” (Shekel is the currency used in the West Bank and Gaza and it equals 1/3.3 of the US dollar), it is through their association with child labour that they are most often recognised. As such, street children in the Palestinian context may perhaps best be termed “children who spend all day until sunset or later in the streets, markets, traffic jams and Israeli checkpoints, begging, working or selling small trinkets”. [click link above for full report]