Thursday early in the morning

Strike in the bus industry also hits Styria

It is not yet entirely clear how many bus drivers are actually on strike (symbolic image)

(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

Because they want better working conditions, private bus drivers throughout Austria are going on strike on Thursday - from 4 am to 6 am. Styria will also be affected. Schoolchildren will be spared thanks to the vacations, but many commuters will probably have to find an alternative way to get to work.

It is not yet clear exactly which Styrian companies will be affected by the strike. However, it is known that the employees of Flixbus and Dr. Richard intend to take part in the strike. The Graz-Köflach railroad has also announced that bus services will be suspended on all routes between 4am and 6am on Thursday. However, rail services will not be affected by the warning strikes, GKB emphasizes.

At ÖBB-Postbus, it was not yet clear on Tuesday afternoon which lines would be canceled. Minor delays are to be expected after 6 a.m. in any case. In any case, Graz Linien will operate as normal, as the employees there have a different collective agreement. The only exceptions are four bus lines operated by subcontractors (lines 30, 61, 68, 69), where there may be restrictions in the early hours of the morning.

1300 employees in Styria
After four unsuccessful rounds of negotiations for a new collective agreement for 12,000 employees in the bus industry across Austria (around 1,300 employees in Styria), the vida trade union announced a warning strike on Monday evening. Although an agreement had been reached on compensation for rolling inflation of 3.5 percent, only "marginal, but no real relief measures" had been offered in terms of working conditions, according to the union.

The employers' offer is a "sham package". For example, relief regarding split shifts and breaks was linked to a loss of income, and there was no movement at all on extending the night bonus (currently from midnight to 5 a.m.). Minimal concessions had only been made with regard to salaries, according to vida on Monday.

"Blockade attitude and strong will to strike"
The employers' side sees the situation differently. Despite a "fair new offer", they were confronted with a "blockade attitude and a strong will to strike". The employers had offered a 3.5 percent increase in wages and salaries for 2025. They had also proposed an extension of the 100 percent night allowance by one hour and "noticeable relief for long or split shifts on regular services". This would have given bus drivers the right to refuse reduced rest periods or split shifts

The warning strikes that have now been announced are "reckless and will have serious consequences for thousands of passengers", said WKÖ chief negotiator Martin Horvath in a press release. "No one who bears responsibility for the bus industry can meet a demand for an almost 10 percent wage increase, because that would be aiding and abetting economic suicide and endangering thousands of previously secure jobs."