Socialists call for broadening strike law

Budapest (MTI) – The opposition Socialists propose to amend the labour code which currently “makes strike impossible”.

Socialist leader József Tóbiás told a press conference on Saturday that his party is seeking a legitimate way to support an initiative by teachers to hold a one-hour strike on March 30.

Through the amendment proposal, to be submitted to parliament next week, the Socialists want to help trade unions to an opportunity to launch a strike, Tóbiás said, and added it was unacceptable that “those in power should intimidate those who support a strike”.

Teachers protesting against the government’s public education policies announced the strike action at a mass demonstration in front of Parliament on March 15.

The leftist opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) has demanded that the pre-2010 strike law should be restored. Before 2010 “anyone could go on strike without breaking the law,” DK deputy leader Ágnes Vadai said, and noted that strikes can only be legally held under the framework of civil disobedience.

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