Some days ago, the Hungarian Parliament passed two new laws with unacceptable content and on a non-transparent, anti-democratically way, with even not respecting the Standing Orders of the National Assembly.

 

The biggest pro-European opposition party, the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) and the Hungarian opposition was trying to stop the Parliament’s vote on the amendments to the Labour Law at all costs. The first attempt was already made on Monday when opposition MPs handed in almost 3000 draft amendments to the agenda as obstruction, but in the end, the Parliament voted in bulk about the amendments of the opposition. On Wednesday, the opposition MPs lined up at the stairs leading up to the Speaker’s podium in order to block the session from commencing.

 

Despite the fact that no real consultation procedure or parliamentary debate were allowed, the Fidesz-majority of the Parliament adopted amendments to the Labour Law, criticised by trade unions and Hungarian people as a ‘slave law’. The new law will allow employers to ask for up to 400 hours of overtime work per year based on ‘individual agreements’ with employees, which agreements override even the collective agreements made with trade unions. It is also shameful that the new legislation leaves the 48 hours/week work limit unchanged but raises the overtime banking period to 3 years from 1 year. In practice, it will be possible for an employer to pay the employee for overtimes in one sum after 3 years.

 

According to the other law, also passed by the National Assembly on the same day, the Hungarian government will set up new administrative courts overseen by the justice minister which is a clear and not-hided blow to Hungarian judicial independence. The courts will deal with politically sensitive lawsuits about government business that are currently covered in the general legal system. The justice minister will oversee the budgets of the new courts and will have big powers in appointing the judges.

 

We, Young Socialists in Europe and all over the world stand with the Hungarian people, with our Member Organisation Societas and all those fighting the erosion of democracy in their fight against the Hungarian Government which is building a new autocracy in Europe with destroying judicial independence and the rule of law. We believe in fair law-making procedures and in real protection of workers’ rights. We also believe in fair share of workload and we stand strong against the exploitation of workers. Though, we do not believe in ‘voluntary overtime’, where employees are vulnerable to the whims of employers. As socialists, we will always condemn these attacks on workers’ rights by the anti-worker, pro-corporate and anti-rule of law Orban’s government.