On 19 October seventy-two workers at the Israeli Sol Or factory in the West Bank went on strike demanding that the company pay them the minimum wage as stipulated by law. Management has so far refused to negotiate. Six workers have reportedly died either on the job or afterwards due to cancer caused by the improper storage of chemicals, and workers who have complained to the media have been routinely fired. The factory was reportedly moved from Israel to the West Bank because it did not meet Israeli health standards. A previous strike was held in 2007 over low wages and dangerous conditions.
To date, 19 striking workers have been fired. One worker, Nazar Fukra, is suing the Israeli company, which says that since it is based in the West Bank, in an area that is not under any of the settlements’ jurisdiction, Israeli law does not apply to the plaintiff, but rather Jordanian law. However, Israeli labour laws have been applied to Palestinian workers who work for Israeli employers in the West Bank since an October 2007 ruling by the Israeli High Court of Justice.