On 13 January, during the wage negotiation round, four union colleagues were sacked and locked out by the management of the company. This act represents a flagrant violation of trade union rights embedded in ILO Conventions 87 and 98 that Hungary has ratified and is in violation of the European Social Charter and EU legislation.

The ITUC expreses the protest of these anti-union practices and full support of the MASZSZ, Municipal Workers Union HVDSZ2000 and trade union colleagues dismissed because of their trade union activities. ITUC urges the management to withdraw Mr István Csontos’ decision and to return to the negotiation table to find an amicable solution to the wage negotiations, and to respect trade union rights’ guarantees.

The ITUC was also informed by the Hungarian Trade Union Confederation (MASZSZ) about a violation of freedom of association by the management of Şişecam’s Hungarian subsidiary Richard Fritz in Aszód. The trade union secretary of the company branch of the Federation of Chemical Workers of Hungary (VDSZ, ) Ms. Edit Juhaszné Kovács, was dismissed because of her trade union activities prior to the wage negotiations’ round last week. Ms. Kovacs is the chair of the company’s works council and the elected workers’ health and safety representative.

Her dismissal is a violation of the national and EU legislation, Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize and Convention 98 on the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and provisions of the European Social Charter.