Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube

Protests Continue in Hungary Against Labor Reform

Thousands of Hungarians took to the streets for the fourth time in recent days to reject what they call the “slavery law,” a new labor law put forth by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to guarantee cheap labor for the German automobile companies.

Left Voice

December 20, 2018
Facebook Twitter Share

Left Voice is a volunteer socialist media project that runs no ads and receives no funds from corporations or government agencies. This is why we need your support. Please click here to donate to Left Voice and allow us to provide you with more coverage and analysis of the topics you care about.

Last week, thousands of Hungarians attended to the fourth demonstration against the labor reform approved last week and against the unpopular policies of the far-right Orbán.

Unions and opposition parties mobilized about 10,000 people under the slogan “Merry Christmas, Mr. Prime Minister,” alluding to Orbán’s response during a parliamentary discussion, where he was questioned by the opposition regarding his government policies, to which he simply answered “Happy Holidays.”

These protests were sparked by the labor reform, nicknamed by Hungarians as the “slavery law,” which increases from 250 to 400 the maximum number of working hours allowed per year, for which certain workers could be forced by their bosses to work six days a week.

This scandalous law allows bosses to add these extra hours up to 36 months after being done. Orbán, a xenophobic and anti-immigrant nationalist, did not hesitate in taking the plea of German automobile companies to the Hungarian parliament, which was denounced by both Hungarian and German trade unions. According to them, Volkswagen and BMW demanded that the Hungarian government guarantee cheap labor and increased working hours.

“We will not be slaves,” “Orbán out,” “Merry Christmas with no Orbán” and “We are sick of it” were some of the slogans chanted by protesters as they crossed the center of Budapest. The demonstration marched through the city center from the Plaza of Heroes to Alkotmány (Constitution) St. near the National Assembly, where the protest ended with party and union leaders speaking to the crowd.

The three previous demonstrations concluded in front of the parliament building, where police tear-gassed and arrested 57 people in three days. This time, however, there were demonstrations not only in Budapest but also in the six largest cities of the country: Szeged, Békéscsaba, Debrecen, Miskolc, Veszprém and Györ, as well as in London and Copenhagen.

Facebook Twitter Share

Left Voice

Militant journalism, revolutionary politics.

Europe

Berlin’s Mayor Loves Antisemites

Kai Wegner denounces the “antisemitism” of left-wing Jews — while he embraces the most high-profile antisemitic conspiracy theorist in the world.

Nathaniel Flakin

March 22, 2024

A Left-Wing Bar Needs to Be Open to Everyone, Including Palestinians

Syndikat, an anarchist bar in Berlin's Neukölln district, has said that Palestinian groups aren't welcome. As leftists who meet up at Syndikat, we think the bar should work like any other left-wing space internationally.

Nathaniel Flakin

March 20, 2024

At a Meeting in Paris, 1,200 People Put Revolution Back on the Agenda

Last Wednesday, 1,200 people attended a meeting of Révolution Permanente, the sister site of Left Voice in France. The group has been playing an important role in the fight against neoliberal reforms and the Far Right, while showing that a world beyond capitalism is more possible than ever.

Feargal McGovern

March 12, 2024

Berlinale: Filmmakers Say What the Rest of the World is Saying

At the Berlinale film festival, Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers called for equality and peace. German politicians want to ban such hateful talk.

Nathaniel Flakin

February 28, 2024

MOST RECENT

A square in Argentina is full of protesters holding red banners

48 Years After the Military Coup, Tens of Thousands in Argentina Take to the Streets Against Denialism and the Far Right

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Argentina on March 24 to demand justice for the victims of the state and the military dictatorship of 1976. This year, the annual march had renewed significance, defying the far-right government’s denialism and attacks against the working class and poor.

Madeleine Freeman

March 25, 2024

The Convulsive Interregnum of the International Situation

The capitalist world is in a "permacrisis" — a prolonged period of instability which may lead to catastrophic events. The ongoing struggles for hegemony could lead to open military conflicts.

Claudia Cinatti

March 22, 2024

What “The Daily” Gets Right and Wrong about Oregon’s Move to Recriminalize Drugs

A doctor at an overdose-prevention center responds to The Daily, a podcast produced by the New York Times, on the recriminalization of drugs in Oregon. What are the true causes of the addiction crisis, and how can we solve it?

Mike Pappas

March 22, 2024

Lord Balfour Was an Imperialist Warmonger 

We should give our full solidarity to the Palestine Action comrade who defaced a portrait of Arthur Balfour at Cambridge University. But the problem for everyone who opposes the genocide against Gaza is how to massify and politically equip the movement.

Daniel Nath

March 21, 2024