Budapest Protesters Demand Teacher Pay Rises
Protest Held in Hungary Demanding Wage Increases for Teachers
Several organizations, including the United Student Front, teachers’ trade union PDSZ, Fridays For Future Hungary, Hang (Voice), ADOM Student Movement (I GIVE Student Movement), National Common Will, and Civil Bázis, organized a protest in front of the Interior Ministry in Hungary on Saturday to demand wage increases for teachers.
Noel Perlaki-Borsos of the United Student Front criticized the government for “going back on its promises” and questioned the assertion that pay rises depended on “slips of paper from Brussels.” PDSZ national board member Alexandra Pál acknowledged that a 32.2 percent wage increase for teachers had been announced, thanks to the protestors, but she added that there was “no guarantee promises would be kept.” She also emphasized the need for a “radical restructuring” of the education system, indicating that the protests would continue.
The protest saw the participation of a few dozen people, and as temperatures dipped, the police offered hot tea to the participants.
In response to the protest, Bence Rétvári, a state secretary at the Interior Ministry, accused the organizers of demonstrating for political reasons rather than for pay rises. He suggested that the organizers were not interested in the welfare of teachers but in protesting against the government. He also stated that the government had already announced the timeframe for raising teachers’ pay to close to 800,000 forints (EUR 2,100) by 2025.
The ongoing protests and government’s response indicate a continued standoff between teachers and the authorities. The issue of wage increases for teachers in Hungary remains a contentious issue, and it is likely that further demonstrations and discussions will take place in the near future.
