"Trade unions of the Budapest Transport Company (BKV) have started an open-ended strike early on Tuesday, after failing to come to terms with the management over wages and perks. The unions are insisting on renewing a collective contract that expired at the end of 2009, while BKV has been offering similar conditions to the earlier framework, only under general wage regulations.Business was as usual on Budapest’s metro and trolleybus lines, but most buses and trams were unavailable, creating chaos in the city. Some buses were in circulation thanks to BKV’s subcontractors.
No agreement was reached at talks today. The strike continues. Negotiations will resume on Thursday morning.
2010.01.13 14:21
Hungarian railway workers to start sympathy strike on Thursday
11:10
Trade unions and BKV’s management were unable to match their views on the collective agreement during negotiations on Wednesday morning so the open-ended strike started on Tuesday continues, said Gábor Nemes, head of the strike committee.
The transport company’s management did not offer new terms and the strike committee insists to renew the collective agreement (that expired in Dec 2009) on its own terms. Talks will resume on Thursday morning, MTI reported.
08:00
The railway workers’ union (VDSZSZ) may decide on Wednesday when it will start its sympathy strike, István Gaskó, head of the union, told news agency Független Hírügynökség. He announced on Monday that if BKV fails to reach an agreement with the trade unions, VDSZSZ will go on a sympathy strike, but he could not say exactly when, only that they will announce it 12 hours before the strike.
08:20
On Wednesday morning, buses are available on 40 routes and trams on six in Budapest. 11 of the buses go on shortened routes. These are number 8, 66A, 98, 114, 151A, 173, 180, 212, 256, 950A and 990A. Buses No. 63, 128, 178A and 150 are back on the streets, BKV said in a statement.
There is no change in tram traffic, with only five lines in operation and on a much slimmer schedule. Tram 1 goes only on a brief section of its entire line (between Bécsi út and Lehel út) and tram 52 carries passengers only between Kispest, Határ út and Nagysándor József utca.
The other three trams available are No. 2, 6 and 47A.
The underground (metro), trolleybus and suburban rail (HÉV) services are all on schedule.
08:09
Budapest taxi companies are fully booked, primarily for the morning rush hour period. On average they receive ten times as many pre-orders as usual.
Tuesday, 15:50
Gábor Nemes, head of the strike committee, said more BKV employees will join the strike and on Wednesday possibly even fewer buses will be in circulation than today.
15:23
BKV’s management and the unions failed to come to terms about the new collective agreement at talks on Tuesday. The open-ended strike started today will continue, Nemes said. BKV has not come up with a new offer and the unions do not back down either. They just want to have the same benefits that were ensured by the collective agreement (which expired in December 2009), Nemes added.
The negotiations will continue at 10:00 CET on Wednesday.
13:47
The National Association of Transport Workers (KDOE) apologies for the inconveniences the BKV strike is causing to Budapest residents.
"They need to believe that the strike is not against them, but the drivers are desperate and their loyalty to BKV has exhausted," KDOE President István Apáthy told a press conference in front of BKV’s headquarters, MTI reported.
Due to the expired collective agreement BKV employees are to suffer the biggest wage decrease of the past decades, he noted. While Deputy Mayor Csaba Horváth talked about a 13% wage rise, the association estimates that some workers would lose two or three months worth of their net salary.
11:20
Mayor Gábor Demszky asked BKV’s unions to sign the collective agreement offered by the management, as it would increase the employees’ annual wage by about HUF 500,000 relative to what the Labour Code prescribes.
"The unions want what is impossible, but we cannot make impossible possible. BKV’s management cannot perform a miracle no matter how long the strike goes on," MTI cited Demszky as saying.
2010.01.11 15:05
Budapest public transport workers to go on strike on Tuesday
08:25
Metros and trolleybuses are running on schedule, while the suburban train (HÉV) runs less frequently on two lines, the Budapest Transport Company (BKV) told MTI on Tuesday. Several unions of the company have been on an open-ended strike since midnight.
Trams No.6 go with 15-20-minute intervals, and there are longer waiting times on tram lines 1, 2, 3 and 28, as well. Index.hu reported 45-minute waiting time on the 6 tram line.
Bus number 30, 58, 63, 95, 103, 128, 150, 151, 166, 170, 217E, 225 and 244 are on the roads, albeit on a slimmer schedule.
08:00:
Taxi companies expect up to ten times as many passengers today than on a regular day, Főtaxi told MTI.
The Budapest taxi company has a fleet of 500 cars on the streets, which corresponds to about 80% of their full capacity.
07:55:
About 200 buses should be expected to be in the morning service today, most of which will be run by BKV’s subcontractors, the company told MTI.
During the BKV strike on Tuesday, 140 subcontractor buses, 39 Volán buses and 20 BKV buses will be in service. Of the nearly 240 routes of Volán that interlace with BKV’s bus grid 160 cover every Budapest line. Volán buses will stop at every bus stop and may be used with BKV tickets and passes.
07:30:
The following lines are in service thanks to subcontractors: 8, 11, 20E, 25, 31, 66A, 85, 98, 114, 122, 123A, 136E, 152, 153, 159, 161, 173, 180, 194, 196E, 240, 256, 272, 950A and 990A."
Source: Portfolio Online Financial Journal
14.01.2010