By Kate Oglesby and Thomas Klein
Shifts of up to 15 hours and and irregular working patterns are leading to a shortage of bus drivers across Luxembourg, trade union OGBL said on Friday, despite relatively good salaries.
Bus drivers are paid between around €3,300 to €4,100 a month and can get a monthly bonus of up to €1,000 for working longer hours or starting early in the morning or finishing late at night, according to Sveinn Graas from union OGBL.
But despite a salary which can reach up to €61,000 a year, potential candidates are shying away from the job due to long and unsocial hours. The gross average annual salary in Luxembourg is just under €66,000, the latest figures from statistics agency Statec show.
“That’s the problem with the sector, it’s not the pay, it’s the long hours they work,” Graas said.
Drivers often work a 12 hour shift and can sometimes work around 15 hours in a day, Graas added.
A few years ago there were around 900 state-owned buses – driven by private companies – registered in Luxembourg, but there are now more than 1,900, Cyrille Horper from Voyages Emile Weber private transport company told the Luxemburger Wort.
“Many potential applicants are deterred by the often irregular working hours,” said Horper. “This is not a job where you work 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.”
Buses across Luxembourg usually run between 06h00 until midnight, with irregular night buses running into the early morning to transport revellers or late night workers home if needed.
“Ten years ago we always had enough applications,” said Jean Clement, president of the Luxembourg Association of Private Bus Companies. “If we had to hire a driver, we just went through the stack and were usually able to find suitable candidates.”
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