Crisis in Israeli infrastructure, labor shortage disrupting sector

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
7 Mar 2024 14:36
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The Israeli Transport Ministry reveals plans to import thousands of foreign workers from Sri Lanka to fill the gap caused by the war on Gaza.

Indian workers gather to seek employment in "Israel" in the city of Lucknow, India in February 2024. (AFP)

The building sector in the Israeli occupation entity is facing critical disruption due to labor shortage after the war on Gaza "closed the gates" on around 90,000 Palestinian workers, Israeli media reported on Thursday.

The Yedioth Ahronoth website stated that "infrastructure contractors fear collapse and delays in the development of national infrastructure, including those in residential neighborhoods."

Vivian Ben-Ami, deputy executive director of Israeli Even Ami Engineering company, a general contracting firm that works in excavation, development, and infrastructure projects, said, "Our crisis is more dramatic than the crisis in the construction sector because the workforce of the infrastructure sector consists of around 80% Palestinians, while that of construction relies on less."

"We are at 20% capacity. Construction contractors can use foreign workers; we do not currently do so. They have left us out," she warned.

Contractors specialized in infrastructure work are going bankrupt and closing down, Vivian added. "We are simply in a crisis."

"There cannot be construction without infrastructure. Who is responsible for development? We are, not construction firms."

Among the many projects handled by the infrastructure sector are, "paving roads and laying down electricity and pipeline networks. Every meter in a building requires infrastructure allocation. The pressure to increase the share of workers in the construction sector is excellent, but it does not solve the problem," the senior executive continued.

Recruiting foreign labor

Construction contractors warned that continued labor shortages in the infrastructure sector will lead to delays in delivering thousands of new housing units scheduled to be ready in the coming months.

The Israeli Transport Ministry is expected to present a proposal to the government on Sunday to recruit foreign workers into the struggling sector for the first time, with the ministry eyeing "10,000 Sri Lankan workers."

Transport Minister "Miri Regev approved their arrival along with her Sri Lankan counterpart during her visit to Sri Lanka earlier this month," the ministry said in a statement.

According to the agreement, the workers will arrive by sea. During the trip, they will be trained in asphalt work, road repairs, and operation of heavy equipment, instead of undergoing training in "Israel" to "save valuable time."

This proposal is separate from the proposal to increase the share of foreign workers in the construction sector, as part of the government's plan approved several weeks ago to secure foreign labor.