Unions slam President Novák for signing law ‘seriously curbing’ teachers’ strike rights
Teacher trade unions PSZ and PDSZ on Tuesday slammed President Katalin Novák for “giving the green light to legislation that severely restricts the rights of teachers to strike.”
PSZ head Zsuzsa Szabó and PDSZ national board head Anna Komjáthy said in their letter that they had been “shocked” to learn that the president signed the bill into law despite an “emphatic request” by the unions to consider alternatives.
They added that they had no other option than to appeal to the Constitutional Court.
The unions may further appeal to the European Court of Human Rights should the Hungarian top court rule against them, they said.
Novák, the union leaders said, had “failed to answer” their letter asking her not to sign the law, and they accused her of signing the law “in haste”.
Parliament passed the contested legislation on May 24.
No one gains from strikes. It is unacceptable to punish student over salary disputes. When teachers are hired, they sign a contract. The salary range is stated on the contract. The contract is biding. The teachers salaries comes from general revenues and taxes. When large raises are allocated, ordinary taxpayers pay for it. Teachers’ union should consider are their demands reasonable or can the country afford it. Disputes should be settled trough arbitration rather than strikes.
I am absolutely not surprised by Pres. Novak’s action.
From the very start, she’s there only to do PM Orban’s bidding.
The wages and salaries of educators in HU are deplorable. Why am I not surprised that they’re leaving the profession in droves to find another occupation which pays better.
I would very much like to see the results of a large-scale survey which would ask the parents of students (the tax payers) if they feel that the teachers of their children are being paid enough. No educators shift ends when the school bell rings!
There can only be a bleak future for a nation which can’t sufficiently provide for it’s educators and medical professionals. 🙁
With low respect and low salary, you get unmotivated teachers. The result is terribly bad quality teaching. And it is completely understandable. Why bother to make the effort of providing innovative and inspiring learning experience to students when you can easily get more respect and money from other jobs with less effort. Or just do the bare minimum as a teacher because that is what they pay you, the minimum salary.
I know a person who teaches English as a private tutor to Hungarian children and teenagers, and the students are amazed how learning a language can actually be fun with an inspiring teacher. And parents have been amazed how their kids´ grades have quickly gone up. Ordinary tax payers should understand that high quality education with motivated teachers is the key to country´s success and is an investment for a better future. Unfortunately Hungary is not going forward in this field.
@mariavontheresa – ever consider why people then leave the profession (education, medicine) never to return? Or even move abroad! My company’s biggest issue at the moment: “I love my job but I have bills to pay, I’m giving notice”. Well educated Hungarians.
I’ll give them your explanation: it is in the contract. Unfortunately, there’s also a termination clause in the contract – so educators and health professionals are not dependent, can simply walk away and embark on other ventures (not like us and Russian gas, oil and nuclear energy – we have no energy security Plan B)
Great to read some real good comments.
I would even go as far as to say that the majority of educators in HU who are still teaching, are only doing so because they love the profession, they love teaching children, adolescents and young adults. The rest are just hanging in there because they have no other option.
Most people/unions go on strike because all other options have been exhausted. Having said that, I know that there are some nations where the unions are very fervent and tend to go all-in from the start.