Workers Demand Increased Wages

Ground crews at Ferihegy International Airport in Budapest went on strike Thursday demanding higher pay.

Celebi Ground Handling, one of the airport's three ground handling companies, scheduled the strike from Thursday through Saturday and was the third strike in little more than a week, according to airport officials. The striking employees belong to independent trade unions of air traffic employees.

The fuel workers union staged two "warning strikes" demanding wage increases from 4 to 10 percent. The unions involved represent 72 fuel workers.

Union representatives rejected a deal this week that included a "sale bonus" worth 170,000 forints gross, roughly $924 USD, which would be paid to all employees upon completion of the sale of Ferihegy to HOCHTIEF, an international provider of construction-related services. Pay negotiations would be suspended until four weeks after the takeover or until June 1.

Domokos Szollar, spokesman for Budapest airport, said about 150 to 160 flights would be affected by the strike, with some delayed and some canceled, according to Hungarian news agency MTI.

Hungarian Airline Malev and SkyEurope will not be affected as each carrier employs its own ground services and several foreign airlines such as Aeroflot, Aer Lingus, Air France, Austrian Airlines, Egypt Air, Finnair, KLM, LOT, and SAS will not be affected by the strike, said Szollar.

Alitalia, Germanwings and easyJet are reporting cancelled flights, according to the airport. Wizz Air, Jet2 and Travel Service are saying delays are possible. Delta Airlines, SN Brussels, CSA and Sterling are reporting no interruption in service and no information has been received from Smart Wings, Aerosvit and Pulkovo. Lufthansa and British Airways are instructing their passengers to call for instructions.

"We regret the decision by LDFSZ to call a strike when they know that in a very short time they will be able to negotiate fully with the new HOCHTIEF management. It is particularly sad that RÜK employees will personally bear the costs of the strike, because all RÜK employees will lose the 170,000 forints sale bonus and their annual performance bonus, worth 202,000 forints (1097.71 USD) last year, because this is conditional on no strikes. We hope that the employees will urge their union representatives to step back from this unnecessary strike action," said Budapest Airport CEO Stewart Wingate.

FMI: www.bud.hu/english