Context: The government of India signed an agreement with Government of Israel for 10,000 temporary jobs on offer in Israel’s construction. Now this news article delves upon the outgoing debates related to the issue of migration of workers in war-affected Israel.
Background
- In November 2023, a little less than a month after Israel began attacks on Gaza, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship signed a three-year agreement with the Israeli government on the ‘Facilitation of the Temporary Employment of Indian Workers in Specific Labour Market Sectors (Construction and Caregiving) in the State of Israel’.
- In December, after a meeting between the Indian government agency National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) and the Israeli government agency Population, Immigration and Border Authority (PIBA), the U.P. government put out advertisements for the 10,000 jobs in Israel.
Jobs on offer
- 3,000 positions for a shuttering carpenter; 3,000 for iron bending; 2,000 for ceramic tiling; 2,000 for plastering
- Salary and age eligibility - approximately between ₹1,36,000 and ₹1,37,000 per month, for Indian citizens between 21 and 45 years.
Agencies
- NSDC is facilitating recruitment, primarily in the U.P. and Haryana.
- Officials from NSDC are managing the logistics, while representatives from PIBA conduct tests.
- Industrial Training Institute (ITI), Lucknow is designated as the nodal centre for conducting the skill screening test in U.P.
High number of Applicants
- Most of the applicants belong to the bottom of the social and economic pyramid; for ex - Dalits, marginal farmers and Economic weaker sections.
- High salary on offer seems to be lucrative as they hardly manage to get Rs 8000-10000 per month here in India.
Concerns
- Trade Unions and Activists are criticizing the Idea of the Government to willfully send its citizens to war zones.
- There are concerns about their safety and security as around 100 foreign workers have already lost their lives in Israel.
- Activists also argue that foreign workers are mistreated and cost of living in Israel is three times higher than that of India. So, they suggest to analyse these facts before making any decision.
Larger Issues
- Sending workers in war zone explodes our claims to provide meaningful employment at home.
- Events like these also highlight huge wage differences in countries like India and developed countries like Israel.
Government's Stand
- The NSDC brochure assures candidates they will be employed by a company in Israel.
- NSDC says that “Strict measures are in place to safeguard residents and employees during periods of heightened tension.”
- Further, they substantiate their argument with the fact that, out of 18,000 Indian citizens in Israel, only 1300 opted to return to India when conflict broke out.
Way Ahead
- Considering high living cost and safety negotiating proper wages along with ensuring security should be short-term plan.
- While in long run GOI should work on creating meaningful jobs at home with justifiable levels of wages for the workers.