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Railway workers to start strike tomorrow

CaboodleNews: 2006-09-18

HUNGARY - A unit of the Free Trade Union of Railway Workers (VDSZSZ) will start a strike and hold a protest rally in front of the headquarters of the Hungarian state railway company MÁV Zrt tomorrow, hvg.hu reports.

István Gaskó, chairman of the organization said that the railway infrastructure management unit of the trade union will remain on strike until they can reach an agreement with MÁV. The cause of the conflict is that the working conditions of railway maintenance workers employed by two subsidiary companies of MÁV since last year have "largely" deteriorated, Gaskó said.
 
The annual food allowance of Ft 160,000 (€590) has been replaced with a Ft 54,000 (€199) handout, said István Feledy, leader of the infrastructure management unit. In addition, employees often have to work 16 hours without extra pay, while washing and eating facilities are not available. Many of them have not received work and safety clothing and cleaning materials are sparsely provided.
 
The strike will not directly affect the railway transport service, Feledy added.