Deputy Mayor: public transport unreliable in Tallinn on Thursday

TALLINN - Tallinn's deputy mayor Taavi Aas said at a press conference on Wednesday that there is no point in laying hopes on public transport in Tallinn tomorrow as public transport companies plan to strike, Postimees Online reports.

"We received a message from the Tallinn Bus Company today that the majority of bus drivers have joined the strike, which means that the few buses that will move tomorrow, ride on the basis of free schedule and no one should lay hopes on public transport tomorrow," said Aas.

Aas said that the Tallinn Tram and Trolleybus Company has not yet announced the number of strikers but should soon do that.

Transport and Road Workers Trade Union chairman Peep Peterson told National Broadcasting that if the government does not fulfill the demands of the trade unions, all of Tallinn's public transport will be at standstill tomorrow. The demands of the trade union are to launch talks with teachers over achieving a long-term wage agreement and that a provision be included in the collective labor contracts law hat collective labor contracts can be severed via mediation of an arbitrator only.