Bus traffic may halt in Hungary in January due to strike
There are more than 10,400 bus drivers in Hungary. So far, 5,107 of them have signed a petition that they will go on strike if their employer does not give a higher wage increase.
According to 24.hu, István Dobi, the chairman of the Hungarian Solidarity Bus Drivers’ Association, will announce a national strike if more than 60% of the Hungarian drivers agree with their signature. The current figure is 49%, so they need 900 more drivers’ support.
Their employer, Volánbusz, a state-owned company, offered a 10-12% wage increase last December. Meanwhile, the drivers’ association wants at least 25%. The agreement has to be reached by the end of January.
If the strike gets the green light from the drivers, it will be on 28 and 29 January, a Sunday and a Monday.
Solidarity’s 25% is a negotiation basis. They said they would not decrease that demand below 20%.
Before, János Lázár, Hungary’s construction and transport minister, said that a 25% wage rise is fanciful. He added that only one bus drivers’ association (trade union) wants that much. The other more than two dozen would be satisfied with a lower salary increase. However, it seems Solidarity will be able to collect enough signatures to play out their interest.
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