Rail workers’ union elects new chief

Budapest, July 9 (MTI) – Zoltan Halasi was elected on Thursday as the new chairman of the rail workers’ union (VDSZSZ Solidarity), one of Hungary’s biggest employee groups.

Halasi’s mandate lasts until the next election in 2019, the union said in a statement.

Halasi started his career as a train dispatcher in 1981 and was a founder of VDSZSZ Solidarity in 1989. Last year he successfully headed a number of the union’s projects, including a European Union development project, and is currently a member of the supervisory committee of railway company MAV-Start.

The union’s former head, Istvan Gasko, failed in his re-election bid in May. Gasko, who was chairman of the organisation for 25 years, said last month that he was the victim of a “coup” and that “anti-Semites and racists” close to radical nationalist Jobbik were to blame for his ousting.

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters