Unions signal strike renewal at Budapest airport

Trade unions representing airport workers at Hungary's main international airport on Thursday said they were considering resuming a strike suspended before Christmas.

Attila Csorba, head of the union LESZ, told MTI that workers felt they were being "stabbed in the back" after the Ferihegy airport operator, Budapest Airport, indicated that it was prepared to employ airport workers from abroad.

The strike of December 10-22 was suspended on condition that an agreement with managers was reached by January 6.

The union is demanding changes to their collective agreement, freezing layoffs and paying benefits retroactively.

After Thursday's round of talks with Budapest Airport, Csorba left open the possibility of deciding later in the day whether to resume the strike.

The unions LESZ and RDSZSZ said in a statement that Budapest Airport, a unit of Germany's Hochtief, was planning to employ Greek "blacklegs", as they had done in December.

According to the unions' calculations, accommodating of the Greek replacements had cost around 22 million forints (EUR 90,000) so far.

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