Suzuki has fired an employee for initiating the organization of a trade union within the company.
Vice president of the Vasas Trade Union Zoltán László told Mérce.hu that Suzuki’s trade union was established in one of the factory’s parking lots and would have represented Vasas on a local level. But, before the organization’s creation could be announced, factory management fired the union’s leader.
According to Vasas, the employee had never been warned about his work performance nor dealt with any other work-related issues in his 14 years with the company. As a trade union secretary, the employee was supposed to be provided special protection under the labor law. Consequently, Suzuki’s actions are legally questionable.
Zoltán László claims that Suzuki’s workers were outraged by the incident and revealed that Vasas plans on taking legal action. The incident could have a positive effect on the newly founded union’s membership, however. After all, the sight of the secretary being forced to leave the company while escorted by security personnel has fuelled many to join the organization. László is confident that Suzuki will realize the law allows for the formation of the union.
The LMP party deems it “unacceptable” that a multinational company so close to the Hungarian government “is breaking Hungarian law” by making union formation impossible. The government has yet to release an official statement on the matter.
Magyar Suzuki Zrt. informed MTI that its management wants to negotiate with the workers’ council on the issues affecting its employees, including working conditions, wages and benefits. In other words: they consider the workers’ council the correct platform for carrying out the negotiations.
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