Public transport drivers in the two largest Slovak cities, Bratislava and Košice, held a one hour long strike on Monday morning. The trade unions wanted to point out that the state still has not helped their companies to overcome shortfalls in revenues caused by the coronavirus pandemic and that the companies might start scrapping routes and laying off their employees. The Bratislava transport company quantified the shortfall since the beginning of the pandemic at €25 million. The Transport Ministry declared that it has been seeking ways to help and announced on Friday (April 9) that the issue had been taken over by the Finance Ministry.
The warning strike held between 8 and 9 a.m. was a voluntary one, with transport to hospitals continuing to operate. Moreover, drivers in eastern Slovak Prešov backed it symbolically by displaying ribbons and announcements on their vehicles.
