BKV Staff On 24-Hour Strike

Yesterday afternoon, the two deputy mayors offered guarantees that short-, medium- and long-term solutions for the BKV’s financial woes would be worked out by late August. Attila Gulyás, vice president of the Urban Public Transport Workers Union, said the problem is that the deputy mayors did not guarantee that they will find a solution, but would have passed on the task to other people. This offer would have been honourable if it had arrived three days ago, he added, when there would have been time to discuss it.

The unions’ other demand, that city council revoke its plan to reduce BKV services, was not met either, he noted. The unions have vowed to go on strike again until their demands are met.

BKV has concluded agreements with Volán bus services and MÁV whereby the two state companies will accept BKV passes within the limits of Budapest. A few BKV services operated by private subcontractors will also be running, and night buses will run as usual.

Police will drive their personnel to work in staff cars and mini-vans, spokeswoman Éva Tafferner said

The Democratic Union of Teachers and the Free Union of Railway Workers separately declared solidarity with the BKV strike on Thursday.

Rail union leader István Gaskó said his union will not go on strike for the time being, partly to honour a request from school principals not to make it difficult for students who are preparing for their final exams.

Union vice president Balázs Bárány told Magyar Hírlap that it is useless to exert pressure as long as temporary conditions prevail at the Economy and Transport Ministry because of the coalition break-up, as practically no decision-making negotiating partners are available.

István Tarlós, Fidesz leader on Budapest city council, said the city leadership is to blame for the current BKV crisis, as it does not allocate one fillér for the operations of the BKV while it spends tens of billions of forints on unnecessary development projects such as a fourth metro line or the purchase of Combino trams.

The BKV has accumulated Ft 80 billion worth of loans. Budapest leaders argue that the state subsidies are inadequate. Mayor Gábor Demszky says Ft 18.5 billion in annual extra funding is needed from the government to guarantee safe operations and to avoid a rise in BKV debts.

Prime Minister’s Office leader Péter Kiss reminded Demszky in a letter that the state gave the city Ft 37.3 billion in 2003 to pay off BKV debts on condition that the BKV not accumulate any more debts, and noted that the government will grant Ft 53.2 billion in subsidies to the BKV this year. Finance Ministry press chief Ferenc Pichler said the ministry is ready to hold talks with city leaders on resolving the BKV situation as early as this weekend."


Source: Hungary Around the Clock.

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