Despite 'Superbus' opposition: Buses in Jerusalem to be shut down tomorrow for an hour
Public transport lines in the capital, except for the minibuses to the Old City, will be stopped tomorrow between 14:00 and 15:00. The move comes in protest of a serious incident that happened last week, in which a driver of Arab descent was attacked by a group of teenagers. The 'Koach LaOvdim' organization is calling for stricter punishment for the attackers.
Drivers at the 'Superbus' company in the Jerusalem cluster will shut down public transport lines in the city tomorrow, Wednesday, between 14:00 and 15:00. The strike, led by the Transport Workers' Union of the 'Koach LaOvdim' organization, will affect all of the company's lines in the capital, except for the minibus lines to the Old City.
The move comes in protest against the rising violence towards drivers and the company management's refusal to allow the suspension of lines following assault incidents. The trigger for the current protest is a serious incident from last Saturday night, in which driver Muatasem Kaak was attacked by a group of teenagers, who caused him severe facial injuries and broke his teeth. No suspects have been arrested yet in connection with the incident.
Earlier today, Tuesday, the Regional Labor Court in Jerusalem rejected the company management's request to issue an injunction against the strike. The court recognized the workers' right to protest for their personal safety, which paved the way for the strike to take place tomorrow.
Against this backdrop, the 'Koach LaOvdim' organization is harshly criticizing the Ministry of Transport's response to the problem of violence in the capital, which they say amounts to only three mounted security guards. The organization is reiterating its call to recognize public transport workers as public servants and to increase the punishment for their attackers accordingly.
