menu
Friday, July 11, 2025
histadrut
Created by rgb media Powered by Salamandra
© Davar- All rights reserved
News

Histadrut Presses for Post-War Compensation Plan for Transit Drivers

Public transportation employees excluded from wartime furlough aid may soon receive compensation under a new plan pushed by the Histadrut and the Transportation Ministry

אוטובוס אגד (צילום אילוסטרציה: shutterstock)
(Illustrative photo: Shutterstock)
By Nizzan Zvi Cohen

The Ministry of Transport will work to formulate a framework to ensure that public transportation operators receive wages for the entire period of the war with Iran, including days they did not work as a result of the war. The ministry announced the plan following an appeal by the chair of the Histadrut’s Transportation and Ports Workers Union, Eyal Yadin.

During the 12 days that Israel and Iran were at war, public transportation operated on a limited basis in accordance with Home Front Command directives. Many drivers were forced to miss work entirely or work only partially—raising the concern that their salaries would be affected. 

The concern stems in part from the fact that the furlough framework announced by the Finance Ministry stipulates that unemployment benefits are granted only to workers who were absent for at least 11 out of the 12 days of the operation. The Histadrut contacted the Ministry of Transport to ensure that drivers who worked more than one day during the war would still be eligible for compensation.

In its response to the Histadrut, the Ministry of Transport wrote: “The ministry values the contribution and commitment of public transportation operators to the national effort during the days of the operation, and therefore sees it as important that their wages not be harmed. In light of this, the director general of the Ministry of Transport contacted his counterpart in the Ministry of Finance to instruct his professional staff to promote a dedicated compensation framework for public transportation workers, in cooperation with the Public Transportation Authority.”

The ministry added that its professional staff had already begun working with the Finance Ministry’s Budget Department to examine various alternatives for resolving the wage issue for drivers during the operation—either by updating the furlough framework so that it also applies to public transportation drivers, or by formulating a compensation plan for the transportation operators that would allow them to pay drivers their wages during the operation, in a manner similar to the furlough arrangement.

Acceptance constitutes acceptance of the Website Terms of Use