Courts Must Protect the Rights of Thai Workers
ACRI, together with Kav LaOved, sent an appeal on October 11, 2026 to the President of the National Labor Court and the Director of the Courts, requesting the establishment of guidelines and oversight for the process of approving mediation agreements with Thai agricultural migrant workers at the Be’er Sheva Regional Labor Court.
In researching this issue, the organizations identified 32 mediation proceedings in less than one month in which there were concerns that the agreements were approved without any substantive discussions with the worker or ensuring that they fully understood the agreement; without directly obtaining the worker’s consent; and without sufficient examination of the rights, amounts, and waivers included in them.
In the appeal, ACRI Attorney Michal Tadjer noted that Thai agricultural workers face language barriers, geographic isolation, dependence on their employer, and difficulty obtaining information and legal advice. Under these circumstances, approving agreements without any meaningful review could result in workers waiving basic employment rights without understanding what they have agreed to and what they are entitled to. We requested that agreements be approved only after a discussion with the worker, either in person or by video call, with the assistance of a professional, independent interpreter. Moreover, the court must ensure that the worker understands the agreement, examine whether the worker has received any money that they are entitled to, and scrutinize any waiver of rights.
Appeal by ACRI and Kav LaOved, October 11, 2026 (Heb)
