Construction workers from India should not be used to replace Palestinian workers in Israel, said major Indian trade unions in a joint statement issued on Thursday, 9 November. The signed statement was released on behalf of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) , All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) and even BJP-affiliated Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) among others.

The statement takes note of Israel seeking to replace approximately 1.3 lakh Palestinian workers with workers from India.

Stating that Indian trade unions must rise in solidarity with Palestine and reject the "disastrous" idea, the central trade unions have called upon the Indian government to scrap the agreement signed in May 2023, during Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen's visit, to send 42,000 workers to Israel...