Hungarian workers gear up for Monday strike

The extent to which next Monday's general strike will affect the country is not yet clear, Népszabadság observes, but there will be transport problems, as all forms of mass transit will be affected.

Ferihegy airport workers will join the strike from 7-9 a.m. The Free Union of Railway Workers will begin an indefinite strike next Monday as its leader István Gaskó, also heads the Liga union alliance and is the driving force behind the strike.

Budapest public transport workers, taxi drivers and driving instructors are also gearing up for a strike of unspecified duration.

Staff at Volán bus companies in 16 counties have declared that they will go on strike from the start of the morning shift until 9 a.m.

As of Tuesday evening, more than a dozen organisations had indicated their readiness to join the nationwide strike called by Liga and the Workers Councils in protest against the transformation of the health insurance system.

The Unions Forum for Co-operation said it will not take part in organising the strike, but will allow its member organisations to act at their own discretion.

The Teachers Union said 51% of the affiliated teachers will wear a blue ribbon of solidarity on Monday. The Democratic Union of Teachers is expected to call a strike in 200 schools for two to eight hours on Monday.

Health care staff will strike in hospitals and outpatient clinics at various times, but will guarantee basic and emergency services.

The energy sector will go on a four-hour strike, but unions promise that the population will not notice any change.

A poll commissioned by the Prime Minister's Office found that 62% of Hungarians support the general strike. Some 57% said they believe the strike will convince the government to change its decisions. Only 20% said the strike will considerably hamper their daily business and will cause major snags in the country's life. Another 25% believe that it could create major difficulties for the country, but not for themselves.

The above story is just one of more than two dozen published today by Hungary Around the Clock, the most comprehensive source of daily English-language news about Hungary. For a free trial of HATC, click here. Hungarian news sources include Népszabadság; Magyar Hírlap; Világgazdaság; Napi Gazdaság; Magyar Nemzet; Népszava; Kossuth Rádió news and Hungarian television's nightly news broadcast.

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