Guest workers can only be employed if there are no Hungarian workers to fulfill the job.Continue reading
After the South Korean company Bumchun Precision Hungary Kft. laid off 60 workers at its plant in Salgótarján (northeastern Hungary) due to declining demand for its products, the Hungarian press reported that the company was actually replacing Hungarian workers with Vietnamese guest workers. Following the news, the Ministry for National Economy launched an immediate investigation into the matter.
The ministry’s statement reads: “in accordance with the information currently available, the reduction in the workforce was due to a temporary drop in production, and both the workforce and production levels may return to their previous levels in the spring. The Ministry will keep the public informed of any further information.”
The press reports about the replacement of Hungarian employees with Vietnamese guest workers are based on the fact that in December, the factory started hiring workers from third countries through temporary employment agencies. The guest workers were reportedly trained by the dismissed Hungarian workers before they entered the factory. Bumchun, on the other hand, justified the recruitment of foreign workers by claiming that it needed to replace workers absent due to holidays and sickness in order to maintain production volumes.
Magyar Nemzet reports that during the first on-site inspection, minor labor violations and irregularities were found at the company and in the employment of its external workers employed by temporary employment agencies.
The substitution of Hungarian workers by foreigners has not been clearly proven.
The investigations necessary to fully establish the facts will continue in the coming weeks at the company in Salgótarján, and if similar cases arise elsewhere, they will also be investigated immediately, writes the portal.
The ministry had earlier also urged nearly thirty temporary employment agencies to ensure that foreign workers can only come to Hungary if Hungarian workers are no longer available. Temporary employment agencies should adapt their day-to-day activities accordingly, thereby contributing to the prioritization of the Hungarian workforce.
The ministry added in its statement that parliament had adopted a stricter law on foreign labor than ever before. Temporary residence and work in Hungary is only possible for the purpose, title, and under the conditions set by the Hungarian state and only if the state so decides.
Via 24.hu, Magyar Nemzet, Featured image: Facebook/Szijjártó Péter