Strike of the Vida union is irresponsible and has consequences for thousands of passengers

Today the last efforts to avert the threatened strike of the bus drivers have finally failed. After four extremely intensive collective agreement rounds, the employers of the bus industry are faced with unchanged blockade keeping and strong strike truck of the VIDA. Despite a fair new offer, the negotiations were demolished by the Vida. Martin Horvath, chief negotiator of the bus industry in the WKÖ, denotes the announced strikes of the Vida on February 20. as “ruthless and with serious consequences for thousands of passengers”.

The last offer of employers was not only comprehensive and future -oriented, but also not associated with a single deterioration for the employees: As part of an annual degree, an increase in wages and diets was offered by 3.5 % for 2025. In addition, the employer side put concrete improvements to the working conditions for line traffic on the table: an expansion of the 100%night allowance by 1 hour for 2025, which all the handlebars in line traffic will better improve, as well as noticeable relief for long or shared services in line traffic. In the future, the handlebars would have received the right to reject reduced rest periods or shared services. The diets for drivers in occasional traffic should be increased by 7 %. This overall package of the employer side would in total belong to one of the most attractive degrees of this year for employees. “The decision to carry out warning strikes with this offer gives the impression that the VIDA did not make an agreement from the start. Anyone who loses the ability to compromise and only focuses on their own media staging has lost interest in a functioning social partnership, ”said Horvath.

ZTl.: Unrealistic demands of the VIDA

In this negotiation, the VIDA also stated in demands that are not affordable for the bus industry and in many cases threatening the existence: “Nobody who is responsible for the bus industry can meet a demand for an almost 10 percent increase in wages, because that would be aid On the economic suicide and thousands of previously secure jobs, ”Horvath states against the background that the starting wage for newcomers increases by 45 % in the past 6 years and with EUR 2850 (including diets and 3.5 hours a week overtime) One of the highest entry -level wages in all industries.

Zwtl.: Strike policy endangers the social partnership and stability of the industry

Employers rely on planning security for bus companies and their employees. For this reason, wages were voluntarily increased by 3.5% by 1.1,2025. The vida, on the other hand, relies on media attention and escalation – on the back of the passengers. “The warning strikes, in which frustrated commuters, school -age children and angry passengers are taken hostage, undermine the basic principles of a fair dialogue,” Horvath regrets the procedure of the VIDA. In parallel to the negotiation process, the bus industry had to accept false and defamatory accusations in the past few weeks, which severely shake confidence in the previous social partnership.

The employer side again appeals to VIDA to meet their responsibility for the employees and for passengers. “Anything else would be an unprecedented attack on the future viability of the bus industry,” Horvath concludes. (PKW056/DFS)