Bus drivers in Vienna: This is how dangerous the lack of drivers is!

Bus drivers in Vienna: This is how dangerous the lack of drivers is!

The collective bargaining negotiations for around 12,000 employees at private bus companies are currently under enormous pressure. The employees have been fighting to improve their working conditions for two years, but now no agreement has been reached in the third round of negotiations. The vida union criticized employers for proposing minimal improvements while at the same time calling for serious deteriorations in other areas. vida's accusation is clear: employers are trying to dump wages by using external workers with red-white-red cards and are relying on an unattractive industry instead of reforming it. “Employers obviously prefer to rely on blackmailed drivers with red-white-red cards from outside the EU,” as Yvonne Rychly from vida noted, who warns of an impending staff shortage, as up to 5,000 bus drivers could be missing in the next five years vienna.at reported.

Increases and dangers for bus passengers

Currently, employers are offering a wage increase of 3.5 percent, while the union is demanding a 3.7 percent increase. vida complains that the employers are de facto trying to shift the necessary improvements onto the shoulders of the employees through their blocking attitude and the demanded deteriorations. “During the negotiations, we once again demanded an improvement in working conditions,” said vida department head Markus Petritsch. In addition, according to vida, restrictions on regular bus services cannot be ruled out, while employees will be informed about the status of the negotiations at works meetings in the coming days. Petritsch also made it clear that participation in these meetings was protected under labor law. This information comes from vida.at.

The dissatisfaction of bus drivers is due to a number of factors: overtime, long shifts and inadequate social infrastructure contribute to the bad mood in the industry. The vida union is demanding, among other things, surcharges for night and Sunday work as well as a clear reduction in unpaid rest periods. “In any case, we will not be able to avoid a noticeable reduction in the burden on the drivers,” Petritsch is certain. If the situation does not improve, there is a risk of warning strikes on February 20th. The next talks will take place on February 17th, which will further strain the bus drivers' nerves and further fuel the open fire between employers and employees.