Hungary

4

Systematic violations of rights

Worse than last year

Region:Europe

Workers' rights violations

Right to collective bargaining

The Hungarian government recently enacted damaging decrees for healthcare workers. The provisions, which came into force on 18 November 2020, placed tighter restrictions on health sector unions, prohibiting free organisation and repressing the right to strike. Under the decrees, healthcare workers were stripped of their status as public servants and were obliged to sign a new work contract by 1 March 2021. Furthermore, the collective rights of healthcare workers were curtailed with the banning of any future collective agreements from January 2021 onwards, while all collective agreements concluded so far expired on the same date. The right to strike was also severely restricted, as specific rules must be laid down in an agreement to be concluded between the government and the “unions concerned”. In the absence of an agreement, the right to strike cannot be exercised.

Workers’ rights in law

All countries