It seemed that 2004 would become the year of strikes because of the failure of the government promises but in fact only the health workers used the most effective means of pressure. The trade union leaders explain this by the low level of organization at working places and by the fear of dismissal. The Socialist-Free Democrat government coming to power in 2002 promised the reduction of weekly working time and the raise of wages to nearing the level of the European Union and in 2003 the trade unions started to demand louder and louder the keeping of promises. Civil servants formed a national strike council in 2003 but it failed to exercise any pressure on the government. Only the Democratic Trade Union of Health and Social Workers organized a series of strikes and the planned dismissal of 11 000 workers from MÁV Hungarian Railway Company did not move the trade unions, either. Ferenc Gyurcsány, the new Premier announced last year that the reduction of weekly working time was not possible.
Translated by Péter Szentmihályi Szabó
Vlagyimir Putyin
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