Decent Work for Transport Workers Freedom of Association, Collective Bargaining and Social Dialogue in Hungary 16-17/02/2011 Budapest

Right to organise in practice Situation TU density:11% organised workforce TU representativeness: employees from 3,8 million workers TU cooperation: 9 ETF affiliated TU Different level of organisation in each industries

Right to organise Challenges To involve more employees to be TU member Strenghten the formal economy Protection the legal basis for right to organise

Right to bargain collectively in practice Situation Levels of collective bargaining: National Council for Reconciliation for the Interests – OÉT, tripartite Sectorial Dialogue Committees – 21 ÁPB, bilateral Collective bargaining coverage: 5203 collective agreements , about 20,38% Railways:  Personal transport - Hungarian employer  Freight transport – Austrian employer  Fair and decent cooperation with the employers,  Collective agreements with the most important companies  No Sectorial Collective Agreement Civil aviation:  Bad relation with the employers, some cases in the court,  No collective agreements with 3 companies with which was some years ago  Sectorial collective agreement partly created Urban transport:  Good relation with the employer, there is no right to influence the owner’s decision  Sectorial Dialogue Committee exists, but the dialogue does not work, and

Right to bargain collectively Challenges In general: to increase level of collective agreements Railway: 1.To create Sectorial Dialogue Committee, 2.To create Sectorial Collective Agreement Civil aviation: To complete the Sectorial Collective Agreement on wages and liability Urban transport: 1. To Strenghten the rule of the Sectorial Dialogue Committee 2. To create Sectorial Collective Agreement 3. To strenghten the legal basis on SD

Right to strike in practice Act VII of 1989 on Strike was changed in the end of The extend the strike the scope of unlawfulness of strike to two cases: „In exercising the right to strike, the employer and the employees have to cooperate. Abuse of the right to strike is prohibited.” „By the employer who conducts an activity primarily concerning the population – so in particular in the area of public transportation and telecommunication, – strike can only be exercised so as it does not hamper the providing of just sufficient service.” The scope and the conditions of the just sufficient level of services should be regulated by law, or by agreement between the parties, or by a court decision.

Right to strike - Major challenges There is no definition for abuse the right to strike, what does it mean - definition needs In each industries the just suffiecient service definition makes the right to strike and the workers lobbying activities precarious The court has very short term to decide on just sufficient level This time is not enought to call for experts, the court is not able to decide about professional questions

International Cooperation Achievements & Challenges European level: ETF, ETUC International level: ITF, ITUC Railways: ERA, CER, EIM

Recommendations,new ideas, initiatives Railways: 1. Sectorial minimum wage in each professions 2.The MÁV Co.’s Equal Opportunities Plan should be really used: flexicurity, help the process of back to work from maternity leave Civil aviation: 1. Temporary agency workers’ wages & benefits problem solution Urban transport: Ensure equal working conditions for everyone Strong and professional transport team creation Sustainable public transport modes maintenance & development Youth Network: More efficient in cooperation

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