Could Hungary’s state railways collapse? More than a thousand lawsuits filed

Hungary’s state railway operator is facing growing legal pressure as more than a thousand locomotive drivers have filed labour lawsuits seeking compensation for allegedly unpaid rest periods. The total value of the claims could reach around HUF 4 billion (approximately EUR 10 million), according to the drivers’ union.

MÁV might be in serious trouble

The cases target MÁV-START, the passenger transport subsidiary of MÁV Group, which operates much of Hungary’s rail network. Drivers argue that the company failed to provide mandatory rest periods after shifts, and therefore owes them additional pay.

Hungarian courts have already issued more than 300 first-instance rulings and over 30 final judgments in favour of the drivers. However, the union claims that the railway company has yet to pay most of the compensation ordered by the courts.

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Dispute over daily and weekly rest periods

At the centre of the dispute is how rest time is calculated for locomotive drivers, whose working hours can begin at virtually any time of day. Shifts may start in the early morning, late evening, or even in the middle of the night, depending on railway traffic schedules.

Under Hungarian law and the railway sector’s collective agreement, drivers are entitled to at least 12 hours of rest at home after completing a shift. In addition, they must receive at least one uninterrupted weekly rest period of 42 hours, averaging 48 hours per week over a month.

The drivers’ union argues that the company has been counting part of the mandatory daily rest period as part of the weekly rest period. According to union leader Balázs Barsi, this means drivers can officially begin their weekly rest before they have even arrived home from their previous shift.

The union says such scheduling leaves insufficient time for recovery and could raise concerns about rail safety.

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Courts repeatedly side with the drivers

According to Telex, the legal foundation for the claims was strengthened by a 2020 ruling from Hungary’s Constitutional Court stating that daily and weekly rest periods must be treated as separate entitlements. The interpretation was later reinforced by the Court of Justice of the European Union in 2023, in a case related specifically to the Hungarian railway system.

Hungary’s highest court, the Kúria, has also ruled that if a driver does not receive the legally required daily rest after work, the time involved qualifies as extraordinary working hours. In such cases, employees are entitled to a 50% wage supplement. Following these decisions, courts began awarding compensation to individual drivers, typically between HUF 3 million and HUF 4 million per case.

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Railway company disputes claims

Despite the rulings, the railway company maintains that its current system is lawful and even more favourable to employees than the strict interpretation of EU regulations. According to the company, applying EU rules in full could ultimately leave Hungarian railway workers worse off. However, critics say the company has not clearly explained how that would happen.

While the legal battles have been ongoing for several years, the first confirmed payment of court-awarded compensation has recently been made to one driver. For the thousands of pending cases, however, the outcome – and the potential financial impact on Hungary’s state railway – remains uncertain.

Featured image from MÁV.