Egged strike leaves large parts of Israel without buses
Passengers stranded in multiple cities and towns after Egged staff impose stoppages during negotiations over wage agreements.
Israeli commuters were left stranded in large sections of the country on Monday morning, as Egged bus company workers went on strike as part of an ongoing battle over a new collective wage agreement.
Egged's bus service was halted in Ashdod, Netanya, Mevasseret Zion, Givat Ze'ev, Ma'aleh Adumim, Netivot, Ofakim, the Gaza border area and between Ashkelon and Be'er Sheva. Services in Ashkelon, Sderot and Kiryat Gat were running part-time with severe disruptions in service.
Workers had planned to run services all day without charge, but instead the drivers went on strike.
The Egged management says that employees have submitted more than 60 demands, and chose to opt out of negotiations in order to exert pressure on the management.
The management, for its part, sent a letter to all Egged drivers stating that there would not be any part-time jobs on offer. It warned workers that those who would not commit to a working full day would not be paid and would be sent home.
"In our view, the announcement by employees that they would not charge passengers is illegal and no different from a cashier allow customers to leave a supermarket without paying for the groceries they took," the company said.
"The workers' union went one step too far, and instead of fighting wage conditions, it targeted passengers," said Egged Chairman Gideon Mizrahi. "I urge the drivers to end these unnecessary sanctions and return to negotiations. I hope that the (workers') committee will show some responsibility and order drivers back to the regular work schedule, to meet our obligations to the members of the public who want to go to work and to school."
The work stoppage caught regular passengers unaware, leaving many of them stranded.
"I had no way to get to work in Jerusalem other than to spend a fortune on a taxi," Einat, a Ma'ale Adumim resident, told Ynet. "My children, who attend middle and high schools in Ma'aleh Adumim could not get to school either, and I had to give them money for taxis. This is an unprecedented scandal. A monopoly that just does what it wants and paralyzes an entire city."
Residents of Elad and Netanya also reported bus stops full of passengers who were left without any means of transportation.
Orel Bengian, an 18-year-old twelfth grade student from Netanya, was due to take an exam in literature, but found himself without transportation.
"I live in the city center and I had to travel to the southern side to school. I was waiting for a bus from 7am, but because of the strike they didn't stop. I only just caught one, at 8:30."
Orel said, however, that teachers were understanding over delays because of the strike.
