The wages of drivers in the public transport company "Metropolin" will increase by 4.5%

The wages of drivers in the public transport company "Metropolin" will increase by 4.5% from May's salary. This is stated in a new employment agreement signed between the company's workers 'committee, representatives of the Histadrut's transportation workers' union and the management of the Metropolis company. The agreement will include 1,500 drivers currently employed by the company and another 600 that it will absorb prior to the transfer of the Kiryat Ono cluster to Lydia.
The low driver wage is one of the reasons for the large shortage in the industry, which is estimated at about 5,000 drivers. Today, most public transportation companies pay a basic salary of only NIS 43-44 per hour, while a metropolis will increase the basic salary for drivers with up to 4 years of experience from NIS 45 to NIS 47. Drivers with 5 to 7 years of experience will earn NIS 48 per hour, 8-9 years of experience will earn NIS 48.5, and those with 10 to 15 years of experience will receive NIS 49 per hour. Drivers with a seniority of 16 years or more, a new salary level in the company, will earn NIS 50 per hour. First-class drivers will be able to reach a gross salary of NIS 10,000 to NIS 15,000, depending on the scope of work and the number of overtime and split shifts they perform.
"Metropolin" also gives drivers it receives from other companies a seniority supplement, and pays them salary increases they have accumulated throughout their careers, while in most other companies drivers who move to a new company due to changing operator in the cluster, for example, receive a new driver's salary. Metropolis also currently pays drivers who undergo training at its driving school a living allowance of NIS 15,000 during the course, and the same grant for drivers who complete two years in the company.
Negotiations were attended by the Histadrut, Chairman of the Histadrut Avi Edri, National Director of the Public Transport Workers Division of the Transport Workers' Union, Doron Ezra, Chairman of the National Committee of Metropolitan Drivers, Weissam Asadi, and Adv. Elad Morag. On behalf of the Metropolis management, Eran Katz, owner and CEO of Metropolis, and Adv. Yifat Arinovsky from Yonatan Pessi's firm were partners.
The chairman of the Histadrut, Arnon Bar-David, stated that "this is an agreement that will benefit all parties. We are committed to working to improve the employment status of drivers in public transportation, and we will continue to work on this important issue. "
Edri added that "while others are threatening strikes and idle talk, we are working and working on all fronts to strengthen the salaries and status of bus drivers in general, and bus drivers in public transport in particular."
Katz said that "Metropolis will continue to pay the highest hourly wage to public transport drivers in the economy, calculated as the basis for all conditions, without tricks and without sticks. Drivers are the most critical component in creating a good and inviting public transport service. "National Emergency."