The Re-Settlement of Ex-Service Men and Women in Palestine before 1948 (Nakba), British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 767. Chapter XVII: Labour And Wages: Section 7

CHAPTER XVII.
tual federation of all Palestine trade Unions. The division between the Arab and Jewish movements, however, is clear-cut, although the differences are political rather than economic. The Histadruth attempt to form an Arab labour organization under its own direction has, on the whole, worsened rather than improved relations. The organization in question, the Palestine Labour League, however, has now declined in influence and membership, and occasionally the Jewish and Arab unions cooperate on a specific issue such as a dispute in an undertaking where both Arabs and Jews are employed.

72. There are a few mixed labour organizations in Palestine.

By far the most important are to be found in the Civil Service where the First Division Civil Servants Association and the Second Division Civil Servants Association have been successfully functioning for some years. There are also a few mixed unions of various categories of unclassified Government employees and of municipal employees. Many members of these mixed associations are also individual members of the independent Arab and Jewish unions.

Section 7.

THE RE-SETTLEMENT OF EX-SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN.

GENERAL APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM OF RESETTLEMENT.

73. At the end of 1943 there were approximately 21,000 Jews and 5,000 Arabs enlisted in His Majesty's Forces from Palestine. The question of their eventual resettlement in civil life had already received some attention, and in June, 1944, the Secretary of State approved the following general lines of approach :-

"To divert demobilized men back to their farms and to their former jobs in industry and commerce;

To absorb them in the (anticipated) building boom and in the rehabilitation of the citrus industry;

To provide facilities where required for their training in agriculture and engineering;

To give them preference in Government and municipal works so far as practicable; and To offer temporary accommodation and relief when necessary, pending their absorption".

74. Although it was decided to treat the matter of the resettlement of ex-servicemen as a distinct problem, due account has been taken of the cognate problem of re-absorbing into civil life some 40,000 to 50,000 .civilian workers, mostly unskilled, employed

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