New public transport strikes looming as contract talks stall

Monday, 13 July 2026 - 09:05 Share this article: New strikes are looming in public transport this autumn. After four months of negotiations on the collective labor agreement for regional bus, metro, and tram drivers, talks between unions and transport operators seem to be heading for a breakdown, AD reported.The eighth and final round of negotiations starts on Monday, but neither employers nor unions have much hope that they will lead to an agreement. This collective agreement covers approximately 13,000 bus drivers, train drivers, conductors, and technical staff at regional operators like Arriva, Qbuzz, and Transdev, and city operators like RET and GVB. The trade unions want a 6 percent wage increase, automatic price compensation, and measures to reduce the high workload. Employers want m