Elron train drivers refuse to work overtime after pay rise canceled
Passenger train operator Elron has been forced to replace some of its trains with buses last minute after train drivers, left out of a recent pay raise, refused to work overtime. Rail repairs have made the drivers' workload significantly more intense and longer travel times mean their permitted working hours are reached more quickly.
Around 10 p.m., the last trains from the Balti Jaam station to Tartu and Türi are scheduled to depart. But no trains arrive — and none are coming. Nor is there any information telling ticketed passengers how they are supposed to get to their destinations.
"Because I spotted the signs and the red notices in advance, I figured out that I need to find some bus around the corner, because it seems like there's no train coming — just a bus," said Ellen, a train passenger.
She was confused as to why the rail company had not sent any staff to the platform to direct passengers to the correct replacement buses. This was especially frustrating given how hard it was to find where the buses were departing from. Ellen ended up getting home to Rapla later than planned, since the bus had to make a circuit through residential areas to drop passengers off at train stops.
While the trip to Rapla only took a few extra minutes, traveling to Rakvere took an hour longer than usual. Passengers on the last train to Tartu had to endure more than a three-hour journey, including a transfer between buses in Tapa.
Elron says that it has replaced some early morning and late-night train departures with buses due to a shortage of locomotive drivers. One factor is the extended travel time caused by rail repairs.
"As a result, travel on the line takes longer, which pushes our drivers past their permitted working hours — and we don't have enough drivers to cover those hours," explained Märt Ehrenpreis, a member of Elron's management board.
Due to a budget cut, the drivers missed out on a promised pay raise. As a result, many have taken on additional jobs and are unwilling to work overtime, according to Ehrenpreis. At the same time, the work itself has become significantly more demanding due to the changes brought on by the repairs.
"Overtime is something that can only be done voluntarily, based on an agreement between the employer and the employee. We're in a pretty difficult situation," Ehrenpreis said.
The shortage of drivers will persist throughout August, which is why Elron has decided to replace the train service on the Koidula line with a bus starting Wednesday.
"This gives us an extra resource we can use to cover sick leave and last-minute cancellations elsewhere in Estonia," Ehrenpreis added.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski, Johanna Alvin
