E-Paper
Job offers from war-torn Israel: Haryana, Punjab workers make beeline to replace Palestinians
Job aspirants, mostly low wage earners and unemployed individuals, are willing to take risks of entering a conflict zone hoping to transform their lives
Big crowds of job aspirants from across the country are swarming the Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) campus in Rohtak in quest of employment opportunities in war-torn Israel.
The aspirants who have come from Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and even Odisha are undergoing skill tests and a screening process in the hope of being picked up for contractual manual labour jobs in the Middle East nation.
Though many are aware that they might be putting their lives in harm’s way, others believe that government-sponsored foreign job offers can be blindly trusted.
While these job aspirants, mostly low-wage earners and unemployed individuals, are willing to take risks of entering a conflict zone hoping to transform their lives and fortunes, opposition leaders and trade unionists have expressed concern over the lack of safety measures for Israel-bound migrants saying the job offers were mute on the critical issue of protection of migrants in a conflict zone.
The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), a not-for-profit company set by the Union finance ministry in a public-private partnership model, whose 51% share capital is held by the private sector has advertised the Israel work opportunities in collaboration with Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam Ltd, a state-owned company set up for providing contractual manpower to the government as well the private sector.
The jobs advertised on the NSDC website mentioned NSDC International Limited, a subsidiary of NSDC as a contact person for the applicants.
The NSDC International Limited was established to facilitate workforce mobility and make the country a preferred partner for sourcing certified workers worldwide.
‘Haryana took initiative on Central government missive’
“The Central government on Tel Aviv’s request had sent communiques to state governments for facilitating migration of certified workers to Israel. There is a dearth of construction workers in Israel as Palestinians have been banned and those from other countries fled after the October attacks. Since there are ample employment opportunities for manual labour in Israel right now, the state government took this initiative,’’ said a state official.
There are 10,000 Israeli jobs of plastering workers, ceramic tile workers, iron bending workers and framework workers advertised on the NSDC website with an annual remuneration of ₹16.47 lakhs. The recruitment drive was kicked off on January 16 and will continue till January 21. On Thursday, an Israeli team asked candidates from Haryana to appear in the skill test and told those from other states to wait for their turn.
‘We know the risks but good money beckons us’
Ravi Kumar, a Fatehabad resident, said he had appeared for the iron bending skill test after his documents were verified.
“We know that there is a war-like situation in Israel but I am ready to go there as they are paying a good salary and the Haryana government is playing the role of mediator. Youths are going to the United States by paying more than ₹45 lakh illegally and we found Israeli jobs better as we don’t have to pay money to go there. There is risk everywhere. My parents are dependent on agriculture and land holding is decreasing, so we have no option other than opting for this job,” he said.
Akhil Kumar, a Class 12 passout from Bhiwani, said that he has been doing plaster work for the last four years and the contractor is paying ₹700 per day and he is not satisfied with his job.
“I am aware of the war-like situation in Israel and I can do my duty in Gaza as the companies are offering good salaries. They will also provide free accommodation and I am ready to face hurdles. The situation is grim everywhere. Soldiers also take risks at borders. The state government has failed to generate employment, so I have decided to appear for the recruitment,” he said.
Contemplating moving the apex court: AITUC
Amarjeet Kaur, general secretary of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), said that the government is compromising workers’ lives by sending them to war-torn area. “The duty of government is to bring back Indians from war areas. But here the government is ignoring immigration laws by sending youth to Israel. No safety guarantees is given and the government is doing this all for political reasons,’’ she said.
Kaur said that the AITUC are in a consultation process and may move the Supreme Court on the issue. “It is wrong to send Indian labourers to replace Palestinians. We are opposed to the genocide,” she added. The AITUC leader said that they have seen that the passports of workers are taken by their employers and they are made captive. “If such a situation emerges, who will be responsible,” she asked.
Govt not concerned about safety of its citizens: Dalal
Former Haryana minister Karan Dalal said the job advertisement though offered attractive salaries but they were subject to deductions and there was no contractual protection. “Accommodation expenses will be deducted from the candidate’s salary as per the location and range. Similarly, medical insurance charges will also be deducted from the candidate’s salary and the candidates have also to bear their travelling expenses,’’ he said.
Dalal said that it’s a pity that the BJP led state government has miserably failed to provide job opportunities to the unemployed youth and instead is sending them in a troubled territory.
Dalal said that several important aspects have been completely ignored and the Union and state governments have not provided any protection to the candidates who are being sent to work in war-torn Israel, as no responsibility is being taken by the governments. “It is thus clear that the government is not concerned about the safety and security of its citizens,’’ he alleged.
Two lakh posts lying vacant in Haryana
Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had in August 2023, told the state assembly that about 2.02 lakh permanent posts in various state government departments were lying vacant. A written reply by the CM said that the unemployment rate in the state was about 8.8% as per the quarterly bulletin (January-March 2023) of the periodic labour force survey conducted by the Union ministry of statistics and programme implementation (MoSPI).
It also added that during the last 8 years (2015-22), about 1.69 lakh youth on an average have got themselves enrolled every year in various employment exchanges in the state.
The CM’s reply also said that as per director general of police, 12 cases of suicide allegedly due to the problem of unemployment have come to their notice between 2014-2022.
Scamsters trying to exploit gullible workers
Then there are some like Dhanraj, a carpenter from Bihar, who had returned from Dubai two years ago. He says that he and his cousin Dharmesh have been waiting for their turn for the last two days. “A local agent of our village sent us an assurance of an appointment. He told us to pay ₹2.5 lakh after the selection. Four men from our village have come here,” he says.
On being asked about the situation in Israel, Dhanraj said that if there is a risk, why has the government been recruiting youths. “There is no risk because the government has started this drive after thinking on all aspects and we have faith in them,” he added.
A resident of Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan Gaurav Saini is an ITI-trained diesel mechanic. He says that the Israeli team is not allowing youths from Rajasthan, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to appear in the skill test.
“We have spent ₹2,500 in the last two and half days. In Rajasthan, our crops are dependent on rains. The prospects of getting a government job are bleak. So we are looking for jobs everywhere. More than 500 youths from Rajasthan, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are sitting on roads waiting for their turn,” he says.
