The Histadrut has declared a labour dispute with the driving tester companies

The Transportation Workers Union, of the Histadrut declared a labor dispute with the driving tester companies Taldor-One and Milagam. The dispute was declared today (24, March) following threats and violence directed at employees by examinees and their families, in a manner that constitutes a serious violation of their safety and well-being in the framework of work, and a requirement that employers reach collective agreements to settle the issue urgently.

The Histadrut tried to resolve the conflict through negotiations, but without consequences. The declaration of the labor dispute allows the workers to strike from April, 7 2022. The strike is expected to include 130 employees at Taldor-One and 100 employees at Milgam. Both companies have been operating the practical diving exam system since it was privatized in 2018. Milgam operates the service from the Petah Tikva area to the north of Israel, and the Taldor company from the Bnei Brak area and south. In recent months, the Chairman of the Transportation Workers Union, Avi Edri, sent several letters to the Director-General of the Ministry of Transportation and Road Safety Michal Frank, stating, among other things, that “over a short period of time there have been more than ten acts of violence against employees of the practical examinations system. We have warned that the Ministry of Transport is not exercising its authority to take action against those who have resorted to violence by delaying that person’s individual practical driving test by six months. Examinees who have exerted verbal or physical violence against driving examiners take practical driving tests after only a short period of time. We will ask you to urgently advance the necessary legislative amendment and policy change required with the Israel Police or the Prosecutor’s Office, so that any abuse, physical or verbal, will be considered an ‘attack on a public servant’. This violent conduct by some of the service recipients towards those who perform their public duties for the State of Israel is intolerable, and may threaten their lives and wellbeing, or harm the health of any of the employees who operate the practical driving test system.”

Chairman of the Histadrut Arnon Bar-David: “Unfortunately, the violence in Israeli society in general, and towards service providers in particular, has long since become a nationwide calamity. We cannot come to terms with a situation where employees do not know if they will return home safely in the evening, so we have had to declare a labor dispute with the companies of the driving examiners. I call on the Ministry of Transport to toughen penalties against those who resort to violence and to promote the necessary legislative amendments that will help eradicate this serious phenomenon.”

Chairman of the Transportation Workers Union Avi Edri: “We are witnessing an ugly and dangerous phenomenon of attacking service providers, including bus drivers, doctors, nurses, driving examiners, and many others. We decided to combat this dangerous and ugly phenomenon with the tools given to us by the law. The labor dispute we announced will be used in part to combat violence and to spur decision-makers to combat the phenomenon by ensuring a deterrent for anyone who attacks service providers wherever they are. We will not let violence win!”