Few trams in operation in Budapest as strike continues

The strike by Budapest Transport Company workers continued into the fourth day on Friday with few bus and tram services running in the morning.

BKV put 42 buses into operation, three more than during the same period on Thursday, several of them running on shorter or modified routes.

Trams are operating on six major lines, two more than on Thursday. The services, however, are running less frequently than usual.

Metro services, trolleybuses and suburban railways HEV started on schedule in the morning.

Talks between the striking 14 unions and the BKV management have been at a standstill since Monday as neither side appeared to move closer. As the last round of talks failed to bring an agreement on Thursday evening the two sides agreed to sit down to the table again at 1pm on Friday.

Unions are demanding a renewal of collective work agreements which expired at the end of last year, and are angry over planned cuts in benefits like health and pension contributions, and the scrapping of an end-year bonus. BKV chief executive Istvan Kocsis said earlier the company was not in a position to offer more benefits, but would be able to make savings after having put in place a plan to improve the company's finances, which could result in better benefits.

Spokesman for the strike committee Gabor Nemes said on Thursday that the unions are asking BKV to supply them with a copy of its business plan so that they can prove that the financial resource are available to meet their demands.

The current strike is the longest public transport action over the past decade.

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