Public bus drivers have been struggling for many years over rest hours, the wages they claim are low relative to working hours, the refreshment stations that have been promised and have not yet been arranged, and other working conditions - including non-treatment of cases of violence against them.
In two weeks, a strike by drivers who are members of a workers' power organization could break out.
These declared a labor dispute on Thursday, and if the strike breaks out - it will include, among other things, the lines in the clusters in Netanya, Afula, Ashkelon and intercity lines to Jerusalem and Beer Sheva.
The main request is to recognize them as civil servants.
But now, for the first time, "Israel Today" has received testimonies from drivers who claim that safety officers at the companies where they are employed approached them with an offer: "Split the half hour of rest you deserve after a long trip in two."
The explanation given to them is the optimization of travel.
However, the drivers claim that the request is a blatant violation of regulations.
"We deserve a half-hour break after four hours of work," they explain. For another quarter of an hour after two to four hours. "
The drivers who accepted the offer, whose officials at the same company deny it, passed it on to their friends, as well as colleagues at other companies and called on everyone to oppose.
Sources in the bus drivers' organization in Israel stated that "some drivers told us that they were told it was legal and allowed to split, and in doing so they would actually make the drivers traffic offenders."
Safety officers we spoke to noted that if one safety officer or another made such an offer, it might constitute solicitation for the offense.
"It's hard to believe that one officer or another would do such a thing," they said.
"Interruption is not right"
The Ministry of Transportation issued a position paper to companies as early as May, emphasizing that "interrupting the rest period is not correct."
The union of transport committees in the workers' power organization said: "Such proposals are exerting pressure on drivers to violate the regulations of working hours and rest."
The organization of bus drivers from the Histadrut also stated that "a few months ago, the organization warned in a letter to the Ministry of Transportation that it must be interpreted correctly.
The legislative purpose of the rest and to prevent a situation of excessive driving that will cause fatigue and endanger the driver and the traveling public.
The interruption of the rest period does not fulfill this purpose. "
