VIDEO: teachers to occupy a Budapest bridge, traffic may collapse afternoon
One of the Hungarian teachers’ unions announced a national strike for 5 October because of the high burdens and low salaries. The demonstration concerns kindergarten, elementary and secondary school teachers, and even some universities have joined the call. The Democratic Trade Union of Teachers (PDSZ) asked all teachers not to work today but to provide the minimum service prescribed by the law. PDSZ will submit their complaints with another teachers’ trade union (PSZ) in the afternoon to the Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights. Furthermore, they plan to occupy a Budapest bridge at 5 PM.
Despite the double-digit inflation Hungary is struggling with, the soaring utility, food, etc. prices and the economic crisis, the Hungarian teachers have not received a wage hike for months. Meanwhile, many companies decided to increase wages during the summer because of the changing economic circumstances. Teacher salaries are between a gross of EUR 480 and EUR 989 based on the number of years a teacher spends in the public education system and the category they are in. A beginner bus driver in Budapest receives an almost EUR 1,000 net salary.
Therefore, teachers have been fighting for a payrise for months, but with little success. Furthermore, they aim for a workload reduction, free choice of schoolbooks, and changes regarding the National Curriculum. Moreover, they would like an independent ministry for education and the renewal of some school buildings, index.hu said.
The two main trade unions (PDSZ and PSZ) formed a joint strike committee one year ago. They have been negotiating with the Human Resources Ministry for one year, but without success. As a result, they launched a warning strike on 31 January and a strike on 16 March. That lasted until the general elections, but the two trade unions said they would continue in September.
Today is the World Teachers’ Day. That is why they decided to organise a nationwide strike for today. The next one of such will be on 14 October.
The laws prescribe that teachers must provide service even during their strikes. Many criticise that rule saying that it makes it almost impossible to show strength and place the government under pressure. Therefore, they attacked it on the Constitutional Court of Hungary. They claim that the strike was a basic right. Gergely Gulyás, the prime minister’s chief of staff, said on a regular government briefing that, in Germany, teachers do not even have the right to go on strike, while, in Hungary, they do.
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The government claims they would like to increase the salaries of the teachers. However, they cannot do so until Hungary receives the EU funds denied because of the rule of law and infringement procedure launched against the country due to corruption. Although the government is always positive about the future of the negotiations with the European Commission, the Brussels-based body did not issue any optimistic statements on the issue. Experts say that the Hungarian forint, for example, would need one to stabilise its exchange rate.
Meanwhile, the local educational authorities fired multiple teachers who decided not to hold their classes on 2-3 workdays in September out of civil disobedience. As a result, teaching became impossible in many “elite” secondary schools in Budapest.
Today, there was a live-chain student and teacher protest in Budapest. Here is a video: Furthermore, at 5 PM, teachers, students, parents and grandparents are expected to block the Margaret Bridge until 7 PM. They want to show the government that the situation of public education in Hungary is unbearable. Since the Margaret Bridge is one of the most crowded overpasses, Budapest’s traffic will probably turn upside down this afternoon.
HERE you can read more about the event.
Source: index.hu