Egged's management has warned of disruptions in bus line operations during the day, following an Egged employee protest in Jerusalem.
Gil Yaakov, director-general of public transport consumer group 15 Minutes, implored Egged to prevent harming the passengers, "It is impossible that public transport passengers will be held hostage by Egged and the Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel). There are many ways of protesting and making a difference without negatively affecting the passengers."
Egged Spokesperson Ron Ratner said, "As we announced yesterday, there might be severe disruptions today, throughout Israel, due to a protest organized by the Histadrut, with the participation of 1,600 Egged drivers and employees, in front of the Ministry of Finance in Jerusalem. The Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Transport are to be held accountable for this situation and we call on the cabinet to carry out marathon negotiations with the management of Egged and the Histadrut in order to find a comprehensive solution that ensures the future of Israel's public transportation. At the same time, the state must release the NIS 250 million it holds back and does not transfer to Egged, in violation of agreements. A continued delay in the transfer of these funds may hinder the payment of salaries for December."
Many WhatsApp groups already post reports of heavy passenger congestion at bus stops throughout Israel, caused by disruptions in Egged's operations following the drivers' protest in Jerusalem. Egged had announced that starting at 10 am, 1,600 drivers were expected to stage a protest in front of the Ministry of Finance in Jerusalem, demanding that the cabinet reaches a subsidy agreement with Egged that will alleviate concerns of cash flow problems and an inability to pay salaries. At 11 am, Egged management was expected to meet with Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Transport senior officials.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on November 2, 2016
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