Warning strikes by bus drivers

On Thursday, February 20, from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m., hundreds of colleagues across Austria at over 100 locations of ÖBB Postbus, Blaguss, Dr. Richard, Sabtours and Gschwindl, among others, decided to participate in the first warning strike of bus drivers.

Fight for better working conditions

"This step is courageous and was certainly not an easy decision for many colleagues. At some locations, employers exerted heavy pressure on employees not to take part in the strike measures," says Markus Petritsch, Chairman of the vida Road Department, thanking all bus drivers and works councils who did not allow themselves to be intimidated and fought for better working conditions today.

Climate-friendly mobility transition

At the strike locations, the workers were supported by climate activists from the organizations Fridays For Future and System Change, Not Climate Change! , as a climate-friendly mobility turnaround cannot otherwise succeed without more attractive working conditions for urgently needed additional bus drivers.

Attempts at intimidation

Hundreds of lines - 170 in Styria alone - were affected by cancellations and delays due to the warning strike. "The strike meetings and rallies have been peaceful throughout and without major incidents. At individual locations, however, employers were on site who tried to dissuade drivers from striking by exerting pressure and tried to disrupt the meetings. At one location, there were even threats of dismissal until the drivers had resumed work. In some places, the police were even called to intimidate the workers before the strike had even begun. At another strike location, a vida vehicle was also deliberately damaged by unknown persons. The case was reported," says Petritsch.

Improvement of the offer necessary

"The ball is now in the employers' court. It's time to take the needs of drivers seriously. Offering only 50 cents for an hour more night work is a mockery of the employees. Especially if the employers had already been clear in the run-up to the negotiation rounds that this was one of the most important concerns for their colleagues. In addition, they have also tried to exchange further demanded relief measures, such as a reduction in long shifts of up to 15 hours, with deteriorations in other points," criticizes the vida trade unionist.

The union wants to continue negotiations with the employers before March 5 in order to quickly come to a better agreement for the employees: "However, if the employers do not put a substantially improved offer on the table with regard to working conditions, they will force us to tighten the strike screw further," Petritsch concludes.