"Employees of Budapest public transport company BKV have resolved to go on strike for the whole day on Friday, April 18, following unsuccessful talks on Wednesday.The unions are reportedly no longer waiting to see whether the Finance Ministry will accept a request from the city for emergency funding of Ft 18.5 billion. Finance Minister János Veres made it clear in Parliament earlier this week that the ministry cannot afford to subsidise the BKV.
The unions now say that their Monday morning strike did not achieve its goal and neither City Hall nor the cabinet is dealing with their request for assurances over the long-term funding of the BKV. The workers fear that planned cutbacks in services will mean the loss of jobs.
BKV management said it is at a loss, as it made a number of concessions yesterday. Talks will resume on Friday.
Balázs Bárány, deputy chairman of the Free Union of Railway Workers, told Magyar Hírlap it is just possible that his union will stage another in its series of strikes that began in early February. "
Source: Hungary Around the Clock.
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10.04.2008