RAMALLAH _ Palestine News Network
The 43 Arab drivers working for the Israeli public transport company, "Kavem ", all residents of the Negev city of Rahat, submitted a collective resignation from the company on Sunday.
The resignation came in protest at what the resignations described as the racist approach through which the company´s management deals with Arab employees.
The officials explained that the racist treatment to which they were subjected included infringement of their rights and legal entitlements.
The drivers referred to the company´s mistreatment of Arab employees specifically, including the verbal threat and provocation, and the failure to give them their due holidays in accordance with the law, the last of which was the last Eid al-Adha holiday they were denied.
In this context, lawyer Sami Abu Ayesh, who provided legal advice to Arab drivers, said, "I provided legal advice to the group, and after a strike that lasted several days, the group decided to union against this company and to submit the request for collective resignation in protest against unfair and illegal dealings with them ".
"Our role has so far been small in this case, but its rationale is important and refers to the institutional outlook in the workplace for all Arabs," Abu Ayesh said.
He asserted that "such treatment must be addressed, my respect and appreciation to this courageous group, which rejected the humiliating treatment that included preventing them from failing to pay their dues and giving them more difficult lines of action than those of their Jewish colleagues."
Abu Ayesh explained, "not only this, but also the officials of the company ´ Katim ´ to threaten the employees to expel and bring lawsuits against them to push them to submit and accept degrading treatment."
"If the company does not pay the full fees and benefits, we will sue them and ask them to pay greater compensation for all that Arab workers have suffered during their work in the company," said Abu Ayesh.
