"Union leader István Gaskó suspended the rail strike which began early Monday morning at 9 a.m. He called the strike a success but said it would only be really successful if the cabinet withdraws all its proposals on transforming public transport during talks on Tuesday.Gaskó, whose Free Union of Railway Workers represents about 25% of rail person-nel, threatened another strike if the talks do not make progress. The other railway unions did not join the strike.
Rail transport was disrupted in many parts of Hungary, particularly in southern Transda-nubia and around Miskolc, Nyíregyháza and Debrecen, when the strike began early in the morning, Népszabadság reports. Rail traffic returned to normal by late Monday afternoon.
State railway company MÁV said the strike had cost Ft 100 million, due to lower ticket sales, reimbursed tickets and reduced cargo transportation.
Gaskó said 1,500 workers took part in the strike, just enough to cripple train traffic in strategic points. Striking employees were re-placed by others at several stations, which Gaskó said is illegal.
Transport Minister Péter Hónig said the ministry will cut passenger transport on 33 lines, totalling 1,000km, next year, but will in-crease capacity by 24% on remaining lines.
Socialist MP Zsolt Török called Gaskó “Fidesz’s in-house engine driver” and ac-cused him of discrediting the institution of a strike, “the workers’ strongest weapon”.
Source: Hungary Around the Clock.
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20.10.2009