Bus Drivers from Philippines to Soon Start Working for Budapest Public Transport
- 6 Oct 2023 9:10 AM
- Hungary Matters
After a careful selection process, 20 bus drivers from the Philippines will be trained in Budapest and start working for Budapest public transport from January 2024 the earliest, Arriva Hungary said.
Meanwhile, Arriva is conducting an intense campaign to acquire Hungarian workforce, the company said.
Future employees will also have an opportunity to upgrade their driving licences to work in public transport, the statement said.
Arriva has trained over 1,000 drivers in the past years to overcome a “chronic” lack of workforce, Arriva head Anikó Körmendi said.
“The difficulties after the pandemic and the economic crisis have shown that Arriva must fulfil its obligation [to ensure public transport in Budapest] with a multi-pronged approach,” she said.
Drivers from the Philippines have already proven their capabilities in other countries, and they are carefully vetted before they are employed in Budapest, she said.
They will make up not more than 5% of the drivers in the city and will be supported by English-speaking dispatch workers, she added.
The foreign workers will receive the same wages as their Hungarian counterparts, she said.
“Neither our collective agreement, nor employees’ rights to equal treatment, nor our values allow to pay less to some workers than others on the same job,” she said.
MTI Photo: Zoltán Balogh
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