The Palestinian Minister of Labour Mamoun Abu Shahla has called on the International Labour Organisation to send a fact-finding delegation, including accountants and lawyers, to investigate the records of the Israeli Ministry of Finance to accurately estimate the amount due to Palestinian workers.

In a speech during the 43rd session of the Arab Labour Organisation (ALO) held in Cairo, Abu Shahla estimated the outstanding amount due to the workers to be $8 billion.

He called on ALO and those who participated in the conference to take action to achieve the Palestinians’ demands; including re-gaining workers’ rights in Israel. He added that Israel refuses to pay the Palestinian or to solve the problems of poverty and unemployment.

Abu Shahla stressed on the need to offer $200 million in financial support to the Employment Fund in the first year, or $1 billion in three years, noting that there are 320,000 Palestinians living below the poverty line, and 300,000 unemployed youths.

He stressed the importance of making a decision to arrange an international conference for the donors, which would mainly target the Arab world, to provide the required support as soon as possible.

(MEMO)