Hungarian government continues to accuse opposition of blocking teacher’s wage hikes

Hungarian leftist parties continue to work against Hungary accessing the European Union funds that would allow teachers’ wage hikes, state secretary Bence Rétvári said after a meeting between government officials and opposition lawmakers, representatives of trade unions and student organisations on a draft legislation on teachers’ status.

Should the EU funds be at hand, teachers’ wages could be raised to HUF 561,000 (EUR 1,500) on average per month, he added.

The government is ready to bring about the largest wage hike of the past 30 years, of 75 percent, he said. “Unfortunately, we have had no guarantees from leftist politicians that they would stop working against teachers,” he said.

Wednesday’s meeting was the 19th stage of a long series of consultations, Rétvári said. Government officials answered all the questions of the opposition, he added.

At the same time, the opposition parties have failed to submit their own texts regarding the legislation; only the Mi Hazánk (Our Homeland) party prepared one, he said. “The others clearly came just to walk out,” he said.