מחלות רקע: העמקת המסחור של מהגרי עבודה והפרות חופש התנועה בעידן הקורונה

Non-Israeli workers in agriculture, construction and caregiving suffer from a variety of “underlying conditions.” The vulnerability inherent in their terms of employment is expressed in limited labor market mobility and physical and social isolation. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the vulnerability and commodification of these workers. In particular, pandemic-related restrictions have further isolated caregivers and increased employers’ tight control of every aspect of Palestinian workers lives while in Israel. On the other hand, the changes engendered by the COVID-19 crisis have drawn attention to structural flaws in work relations (especially in the caregiving sector) and has led to new political and legal measures that offer hope for improving workers’ rights. Furthermore, an initial analysis indicates that the pandemic has strengthened the bargaining power of agricultural migrant workers due to the shortage of working hands, thus increasing their labor market mobility.