Egged on two-hour strike Monday over increased violence towards bus drivers
The Histadrut, Israel's national trade union centre, announced that all Egged transportation activities will be shut down Monday from 10 am until noon, as a protest against the recent increase in cases of violence against bus drivers.
Avi Edri, chairman of the Transport Workers Union, said that if the issue is not dealt with, the protest may continue.
The Histadrut has reported on several cases of violence against Egged drivers in recent months, the last of which occurred last week in Jerusalem, when a man attacked a bus driver on Route 59 after the bus collided with his vehicle.
"We decided to do this as a message to anyone who aims to hurt drivers; that violence cannot be made routine," Edri said in a statement. "Public transport drivers serve the entire public faithfully and diligently and it is inconceivable that they will become a punching bag for violent passengers or drivers."
The Histadrut has reported on several cases of violence against Egged drivers in recent months, the last of which occurred last week in Jerusalem, when a man attacked a bus driver on Route 59 after the bus collided with his vehicle.
Egged announced that the strike was not coordinated by the Histadrut.
A spokesman for the company said that Egged opposes any harm to public transportation, and believes that the strike is not the way to deal with violence against bus drivers.
