Hungarian teachers' union warns of potential strikes over wages

The Hungarian teachers' union has warned of potential strikes if the government fails to address the wages of staff directly supporting education. Tamás Totyik, president of the Teachers' Union, stated that while negotiations are ongoing, a strike remains a possibility if pay for roles such as special education assistants, system administrators, and financial specialists is not improved. Currently, these employees earn only 7 percent above the guaranteed minimum wage, which the union argues does not reflect their high physical and mental workload.

Although the government program included a promised 25 percent wage increase for these roles, union leadership reports being told during recent negotiations that the necessary funding is currently unavailable.

The wage dispute has also sparked political tension. Actor and activist Áron Molnár criticized KDNP politician Bence Rétvári following comments regarding potential school strikes. Molnár defended the need for reform and criticized the previous administration's impact on the education system, while highlighting current efforts to decentralize education and rehabilitate teachers who were previously dismissed for political reasons.