Public employee union calls strike in Hungary

The trade union of Hungarian civil servants and public employees (MKKSZ) is calling a three-day strike by local government civil servants from Wednesday.

The union’s head Erzsébet Boros told a press conference held in front of the Ministry of Interior building on Wednesday that the minister had refused to engage in meaningful dialogue and had flatly refused to consider any of their demands.

Among them, the union wants anomalies in the system of local council budget financing to be resolved and expenses linked to the coronavirus crisis at local government level to be reimbursed by the central government.

Boros said

the government’s recent decisions had made the operation of local governments “impossible”, and put the jobs of thousands of employees on the line. The austerity measures would force local councils to fire people, she warned.

Fully 5,358, or 17.5 percent, of all public servants have said they would join the strike, Boros said.

The strikers also demand that their basic wage be raised to 60,000 forints (EUR 168), Boros said.

Basic wages have been stagnant for 13 years, forcing local governments to supplement them from their own resources, she said.

They also demand that the minimum wage for graduates should be introduced to the sector, she said.

• Hungarian unions initiate talks with governement on economy, job protection measures

Read alsoOver 1,100 teachers are still wanted for the upcoming school year in Hungary

Source: MTI