Palestina - Palestinian workers’ rights trampled

The occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) has persistently suffered from “depression-level unemployment” caused by Israel’s prolonged military occupation and imposed economic policies. In 2019, unemployment levels reached 25% (54% in the besieged Gaza Strip and 15% in the occupied West Bank), and underutilisation levels were even higher (33%). Those in work are employed in precarious conditions, with long working hours, low pay and a lack of social protection. In the private sector, where 62.1% of the oPt’s workforce are employed (64.1% in the West Bank and 56.6% in Gaza), some 30% of workers receive a monthly wage that is less than the US$428.79 minimum wage. Private sector workers also lack social protection, with only 30% having access to full social rights. The dependency of Palestinians on the Israeli job market renders them acutely vulnerable to wide ranging exploitation.