- The works of the Jerusalem tram have been awarded to the consortium formed by the Israeli company CAF and Israeli company Saphir. The CAF Works Committee asked the management to be given as a request for work, as the tram will be built on occupied land expropriated to the Palestinians. The contract has a budget of over EUR 1.8 billion.
The Gipuzkoan company CAF and the Israeli company Saphir have been the companies that won public competition, which have merged into the consortium. The intention is to extend the Red Line of the Jerusalem tramway by 6.8 kilometres and to build a new Green Line. This last section will have a length of 20,6 kilometres. The convention includes a lot of work and a lot of work. The construction of 114 trams of the Green Line and the rehabilitation of 46 of the Red. The maintenance, signalling or fitting of communication systems shall also be the responsibility of the consortium.
The first work will begin this year. The aim is for the green line to be completed by 2025, but the agreement provides for a longer period, as the case may be. For example, for 25 years, the consortium will take over the maintenance work of the plant.
CAF has made the contract known in a press release. In total, as you explained, an agreement amounting to EUR 1.8 billion has been signed. The cooperative believes that at the end of the two lines, Jerusalem will "have a much more comfortable and effective rail network" for its use. Transport of "all its inhabitants".
Workers, against
In January the Works Council of LAB, ELA, CCOO and ESK unanimously requested the management of the company not to submit to the competition for the works of the Jerusalem tram. Among other things, because the railway network will be built on occupied lands expropriated to the Palestinians, and because only Israeli settlers will have the right to use transport.
"We do not need to be involved in tasks that go against international legality," the workers said in a press release. "We do not understand what a positive aspect the work against legality, ethics and international solidarity can bring to CAF," said the LAB union, a majority among workers of the company.
The Palestine Liberation Organization publicly thanked the attitude of CAF workers. The Secretary-General of the organization, Saeb Erekat, gave the workers the letter directly: “Your action and effort is an example for many European workers.”
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