Budapest Mayor Tarlós Sanguine On Two-Day BKV Strike
- 5 Jun 2015 9:00 AM
Mayor István Tarlós indicated that he is prepared to put up with a threatened two-day strike by some unions of public transport company BKV rather than grant the wage increases they are asking for. Interviewed on TV2 Thursday morning, Tarlós said the two-day strike – scheduled for June 11-12 – is not the end of the world, adding “let’s not act like a nuclear war is about to break out”.
If a strike goes ahead, he continued, there will be no wage hike. Unions are seeking a 3.5% pay rise, while the BKV is willing to raise pay by 2.4%.
Tarlós stressed that the BKV management will decide on the extent of any wage hike and that he only strives to act as a mediator.
Tarlós told Népszava that he has been fighting for two years against the outsourcing of bus services, but he simply cannot prevent it at a company which is continuously beset by funding problems.
Népszabadság says that the more militant unions are ready to accept a 2.6% wage hike offer from the BKV in July, retroactive to April, regardless of the fact that this year’s business plan contains no provision for higher salaries.
Source: Hungary Around the Clock
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MTI photo: Bruzák Noémi
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