Red-White-Red Card

Bus drivers warn against wage dumping

The collective bargaining negotiations for bus drivers are currently unsuccessful.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/polack)

The collective bargaining negotiations for bus drivers are currently unsuccessful. The trade union vida criticized on Thursday that the employers were relying on a "red-white-red card with wage dumping". It was countered that not even one percent of drivers are employed with red-white-red cards.

The current offer is an increase of 3.5 percent. This would correspond to rolling inflation, said industry chairman Martin Horvath from the Austrian Chamber of Commerce. The vida trade union, on the other hand, is demanding a wage increase of 3.7 percent and better working conditions. "It's mainly about deductions due to breaks, night work and relief measures so that you can really do your job until you retire," said Susanne Haase, regional manager of the vida Vienna trade union.

"When everyone else is asleep and off work, bus drivers drive and don't get enough pay for it - and family life suffers as a result," criticizes Michael Krippner, himself a driver and works council member at ÖBB Postbus. At present, bus drivers receive a night allowance for journeys between midnight and 5 am. The vida trade union is demanding an extension to the period from 10 pm to 6 am.

The main issues are deductions due to breaks on duty, night work and relief measures so that drivers can really do their job until they retire.

Susanne Haase, Landesgeschäftsführerin der vida Wien

Haase also accused employers of preferring to have their driver's license training financed by the Public Employment Service (AMS). "That's not true at all, it's the employee's personal driving license," said Horvath. The driver's license is not tied to the employer at all. With regard to working conditions, he noted that a new regulation had been offered for night work bonuses for the period from 11 p.m. to midnight, namely a 50 percent surcharge. The starting wage for new starters had been increased by 45 percent in recent years

Negotiation date on February 17
Currently, the KV minimum wage is 2773 euros gross per month. Another accusation made by the union was that employers were relying on employees with a red-white-red card to engage in wage dumping. "Employers obviously prefer to rely on blackmailable drivers with red-white-red cards from outside the EU and wage dumping instead of making the industry more attractive," said Yvonne Rychly, deputy chairwoman of vida Vienna. 

According to Horvath, less than one percent of drivers are currently employed with red-white-red cards. This card can be obtained by skilled workers from third countries in shortage occupations, for example. This allows limited access to the labor market in Austria.

The next hearing is scheduled for February 17. "However, if another deceptive package is put on the negotiating table, the employees will hold a first warning strike on February 20, 2025," vida announced. Around 12,000 people work for private bus companies in Austria.