TEL AVIV, September 25 — The Israel Railways union went on a partial strike in response to the management’s plan to privatize rolling stock maintenance to an outside company. While the management pretends that this outsourcing will not harm the current workers’ jobs, in reality this will open the way for a wider privatization of rail services under the Israeli regime, causing job loss and pay cuts. The rail workers are fighting for their jobs, as well for the job conditions and pay of future workers hired by Israel Railways.
The Israeli “labor” court has decreed the strike “illegal” on the management’s request, but the workers are fighting on despite the anti-worker decree. On September 25th, the workers shut down the opening of a new rail line in Rishon Le’Zion, defying the court’s order and showing management that they will not give up their jobs to make profits for whatever sub-contractor the management will choose to privatize transit services.
This struggle receives very negative coverage in the Israeli media, with the rail workers shown as “criminals” and “terrorists” because they dared to strike and disrupt train traffic for a few days in defense of their jobs.
This is why international solidarity is important. Give these transit workers a hand in face of management plots and court and media onslaught!J
Please sign this petition in support of this strike:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/israrail/
In addition, please send protest letters to the following addresses:
Israel Railways Customer Service, pniyot@rail.co.il or by regular mail to Israel Railways – Customer Service Department, Tel Aviv Station, Savidor Central, POB 18085, Zipcode 61180.
Yisrael Katz, Israeli Minister of Transportation, yiskatz@knesset.gov.il