Co-operation in Israeli Bus Working
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ISRAEL'S steadily growing passenger 1 transport industry is almost exclusively the preserve of road transport. In 1952, I 62m. people travelled on urban bus routes. 95m. in the suburbs, and 52m. on inter-urban journeys. Barely a million passengers travelled by railway.
Buses in Israel are operated by three co-operative societies, the co-operative society being a common institution in Israeli economy. Membership is acquired by payment of a fixed amount— originally the value of a bus, as at first the majority of members used to work as drivers. With the growth of the societies the amounts were reduced, for the need for members who would attend to the administrative technical management increased Every member is paid a fixed monthly salary—one of the highest paid in the country—and shares in the annual profits. actually usually non-existent, because of the high salaries.
No Sleeping Partners
The articles of the co-operative societies provide that every member must work in some capacity. At the outset, the articles further stipulated that no hired labour was to be employed. , In recent years, however, this principal had to be abandoned, mainly because of the lack of technical and maintenance staff.
The co-operative societies are administered by boards of management elected by all members at the annual general meetings. Israel's three bus co-operative societies are the result of 20 years' development. At first, individual bus owners used to ply in certain areas by virtue of licences. Gradually, these individuals joined within one town in order to rationalize their services, and then linked with neighbouring areas, until the large co-operative societies of today were formed.
The number of buses owned by the three undertakings is 1,700; 1,100 belong to Eshed, the biggest of the companies, about 450 to Dan, and approximately 150 to Hamkasher. Of the 3,000 persons in the employ of Eshed, 1,850 arc members and the remainder paid workers. A fifth of the 1.500 drivers are paid employees and so are two-thirds of the 550 workshop mechanics, who carry out maintenance in four workshops. A large part of the repair work of Eshed is carried out by outside contractors.
Eshed is responsible for all the interurban traffic in Israel, with the exception of the Jerusalem-Beersheba line, and of the Haifa urban and suburban traffic. The second largest co-operative society, Dan, serves the twin cities of Tel-Aviv and Jaffa, the neighbouring towns of Petah-Tiqvah and RamatGam and a number of neighbouring villages. Its staff comprises 1,500 persons, 850 of whom are members. Of the 870 drivers. 200 are paid employees. and of the 450 garage workers only 100 are members. Many of the members of Dan live in the society's own settlement, Yad Hamaavir, a suburb of Tel-Aviv.
The Jerusalem co-operative society. Hamkasher, employs 470 people, of whom 300 are members. A fifth of the 180 drivers are paid employees, and 25 per cent. of the 85 garage workers are members. Hamkasher takes care of all passenger transport in Israel's capital city and her suburbs, as well as inter-urban traffic on the JerusalemBeersheba route. On the basis of an agreement with Eshed, Hamkasher also places a number of buses and drivers at the disposal of Eshed's services on the Jerusalem—Tel-Aviv road.
One-Man Operation
Although well paid, the position of a bus driver in Israel is not an easy one. Qn most lines, the driver has to serve simultaneously as a ticket-seller. During, the years of disturbances and war in Israel the members of the transport co-operative societies proved their courage by keeping up inter-urban traffic under fire. Their long working hours and hard conditions lead to neurotic and heart diseases and stomach ulcers among the older drivers, who are frequently forced to retire at the age of 50.
On the other hand, there is much dissatisfaction among the public with the services of the societies—mainly because of the lack of buses in the country. Two possibilities are frequently being considered: whether to unite all three societies into one strictly supervised by the Government, or whether nationalization should be imposed. The later course, however, is not likely.