A court has ordered the Green Net Company, which provides sanitation services for the Jerusalem Municipality, back to work.

The company is trying to amend its contract with the city and has taken action to pressure the city into agreeing. The city took the pace to the Jerusalem District Court and the court ruled the company must continue collecting and recycling the garbage collected as per its agreement with the city.

As per the current contract with Green Net, the company is required to collect garbage which is taken to a facility in Atarot, a northern capital industrial area. the contact lists the service as “essential” and therefore the court ruled Green Net does not have the right to stop as it is doing.

Company officials realized about a half year ago, shortly after beginning its contract, that it is losing money, demanding an additional NIS 20 million from the city. City officials explained the contract would not be renegotiated and this led to Green Net began slowing down and picking up only about half the garbage, leading to a distressing situation in some areas.

Green Net then informed the city that if it does not meet its demands by September 6, 2016, it would close the Atarot facility and walk away. The city filed an urgent motion with the court, which has compelled the company to return to garbage collection and scheduled another hearing for September 11, 2016.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)