Foreign Construction Firms Warn: “Unsupervised Recruitment of 20,000 Workers Could Jeopardize Gush Dan Metro”

The Association of Foreign Construction Corporations has issued an urgent appeal to Transport Minister Miri Regev, warning against the possibility that unauthorized and unsupervised contractors will be allowed to directly recruit approximately 20,000 foreign workers for the Gush Dan metro project.

The association argues that such a move could undermine what is widely regarded as the largest and most complex infrastructure project ever undertaken in Israel.

“Operational Chaos and Delays”

Eldad Nitzan, chairman of the association, cautioned that bypassing established construction corporations in the recruitment process would have severe consequences.

“Bringing foreign workers through unauthorized subcontractors will lead to operational chaos, violations of workers’ rights, and significant delays to the project timetable,” Nitzan said.

According to the association, recruiting foreign labor outside the framework of the 200 licensed construction corporations currently operating in Israel — 150 of which were established specifically for this purpose — could result in damages estimated at NIS 250 million to the metro project in the Dan region.

Severe Workforce Shortage

Israel’s infrastructure and construction sectors are facing an acute and ongoing shortage of skilled labor. The metro project alone is expected to require tens of thousands of foreign workers, particularly in specialized fields where the local labor market lacks sufficient capacity.

Industry representatives stress that the scale of recruitment required demands a centralized, uniform, and tightly regulated policy framework.

Existing Oversight Mechanisms

The association emphasized that construction corporations currently handling foreign worker recruitment operate under strict government regulation. These companies manage recruitment, worker transportation, housing, welfare, and supervision systems, and bear full responsibility for ensuring compliance with permit conditions, labor laws, and professional standards.

Transferring recruitment authority to entities that lack such infrastructure — or fragmenting authority among multiple contractors — would, according to the association, weaken state oversight and create regulatory gaps.

National Project at Stake

The Gush Dan metro is considered a flagship national transportation initiative designed to ease congestion and support long-term economic growth in central Israel.

The association argues that adopting its recommendations would prevent unnecessary setbacks, safeguard workers’ rights, and ensure that the project advances in line with its national and transportation objectives.

The Transport Ministry has not yet issued an official response to the appeal.