No end in sight to Hungarian rail strike

The railway workers strike which began early Monday morning looks set to continue indefinitely after talks between MÁV management and the Free Union of Railway Workers (VDSZSZ) yielded no results yesterday.

MÁV said 22% of trains were running, but only 10% of railway officials were on strike. VDSZSZ meanwhile claimed that 75% of its members joined the strike. VDSZSZ, representing about 25% of MÁV workers, is the largest rail workers union.

Passengers had to wait up to one hour for trains, and service was unpredictable. Budapest's three main train stations were almost completely inactive yesterday. The two sides have been unable to agree on skeleton services during the strike.

MÁV officials gave no ground on paying employees Ft 250,000 each from the privatisation revenues of MÁV Cargo yesterday, nor on a 10% wage hike claim, stating that there is no scope for bargaining.

Union leader István Gaskó maintains that former Economy and Transport Minister János Kóka promised to pay a share of the privatisation revenues to railway employees. Kóka said on Monday that the privatisation of MÁV Cargo had the full consensus of the unions and no separate deal had been struck.

Kóka's successor Csaba Kákosy said in a statement that if the rail strike drags on, funds will be transferred to the Volán bus companies to take on some public transport services. Kákosy said the strike is "aimed at fomenting political trouble," and could run until the March 9 referendum.

Gaskó also said the strike could drag on for months, but he rejected the political link. He said his union can continue the strike for a long time and that union members will receive strike pay. Fidesz workers section chairman Pál Kontur expressed solidarity with the strikers.

The strike costs MÁV Ft 720 million daily, a company spokesman told Kossuth Rádió. Negotiations are to resume today.

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