Ben Gurion taxi drivers strike over forced fare discount
Protesting taxi drivers refuse to pick up passengers and protest outside Ben Gurion terminals, causing the disruption of travel services to and from the airport; drivers protest the mandatory 12% reduction in fare for passengers, claiming it severely impacts their livelihood.
The strike comes as the Israel Airports Authority (IAA) dictated a 12 percent reduction in fare for passengers, angering taxi drivers who claim the reduction "takes bread away from our children."
Drivers protested at the entrance to the terminal, shouting slogans and holding signs. Shortly after midnight, several drivers decided to pick up passengers, leading protestors to shout profanities at them. One driver threw a bottle and was detained by police at the scene.
According to one of the protestors, the fight isn't just about the mandatory 12 percent reduction in fare, it also about another previous seven percent reduction and the livelihood of drivers.
"We're still fighting for them to return the seven percent. We're not even talking about the twelve percent yet. If I made NIS 5,000, now I make NIS 2,500. I would do better to just go on welfare or collect social security. What am I supposed to do?"
Passengers who arrived at the chaotic scene were forced to take buses and trains, leading to long lines and crowded conditions despite the IAA organizing buses from the airport to Tel Aviv.
Despite the protest and disruption of services, drivers said they were prepared to negotiate and even issued a list of demands that they said needed to be met if they were to comply with the 12 percent reduction.
Drivers demanded a 12 percent reduction in the price of gas, a 12 percent decrease in the salaries of the IAA director general and all of his employees (including pilots) and a 12 percent reduction in the IAA's profits.
Prior to the strike, the IAA had informed drivers that whomever agrees to the 12 percent fare reduction will be exempt from the NIS 5.80 IAA franchise fee as well as the additional NIS 5 consumer price index fee.
Moreover, drivers who agree to the 12 percent reduction will also be able to pick up passengers on the first floor, right outside of the baggage claim area. Conversely, drivers who do not agree to honor the 12 percent fare reduction will be required to retrieve passengers from one of the upper floors, which are considered less convenient.