Hungary: EU enlargement and the trade unions
Hungary: EU enlargement and the trade unions

Summary/Abstract: As the Commission Opinion on Hungary’s application for membership of the European Union states, from 1989 up to the present day there has been an almost unanimous consensus between Hungarian political and social forces in support of integration. Not only the political forces, but also public opinion, the majority of citizens (among them employees) consider joining the EU to be a positive and also essential step. The overall positive approach characterises also the trade union view. However, this can be evaluated both positively and negatively; the latter in terms both of the lack of healthy criticism and even the fear that the trade unions have not thought more deeply about the possible consequences of accession. Also, the need to elaborate a particular (trade union) strategy – concerning both the official negotiation process and the period after joining – has been seriously raised only recently. Yet the six Hungarian national trade union confederations have not been in favour of elaborating a common (trade union) strategy. Only at the beginning of 2000 has the trade union side entrusted its own National European Integration Commission with the task of preparing a strategy proposal for the “six”, indicating the necessary evaluations, background studies, analysis, etc.

• Details
• Contents