Syndicats

Hungary has a relatively low level of union density– about 17% – and with six competing confederations – MSZOSZ, ASZSZ, SZEF, ESZT, LIGA and MOSZ – trade unionism is fragmented.

Figures from the 2004 Hungarian labour force survey indicate that some 600,000 of the employed workforce are in trade unions, equivalent to 17% of all employees. However, the number of trade unionists is likely to be greater than this. Figures from one of the two largest confederations, SZEF, indicate that 40% of its membership are pensioners.

There are six trade union confederations in Hungary. Four, MSZOSZ, ASZSZ, SZEF and ESZT, emerged as reformed organisations from the unified trade union SZOT, which existed before 1989, and two, the LIGA and MOSZ, grew out of a combination of anti-communist activists and local protest movements. As well as these confederations, there are also a large number of independent unions.

The divisions between the reformed trade unions are essentially that they cover different parts of the economy. MSZOSZ represents workers in manufacturing industry and private services, such as retail, and ASZSZ represents workers in the utilities and transport, as well the chemical industry. SZEF and ESZT cover public services, such as health, education and local and central government. The difference between the two is that ESZT organises higher-grade graduate employees, particular in higher education and research institutes. SZEF and ESZT signed a co-operation agreement in 1995.

The LIGA and MOSZ both represent workers across the economy. However, in 2005 the balance of membership in the LIGA changed when it merged with FRDESZ, a union representing those employed in the military and the police, giving it a substantial presence in the public sector.

Competition between the confederations means that accurate figures of their membership are difficult to obtain and to reconcile with the labour force survey figures. But it is clear that in terms of employed members the two largest are SZEF, with perhaps 270,000, and MSZOSZ, with perhaps 200,000. ASZSZ was in third position with around 100,000 but the LIGA has probably now overtaken it following its merger with FRDESZ. ESZT and MOSZ are much smaller.

The main union confederations are organised broadly according to industry, although they internally are fragmented. (At its latest congress in November 2006 MSZOSZ reported that progress towards greater co-operation between unions, through the establishment of ‘quasi’ federations, had been limited.)

Politically, MSZOSZ is close to the socialist party and signed an electoral agreement with it in 2005. The report to MSZOSZ congress in 2006 noted that the values it supports were contained in the socialist party’s electoral platform, although it emphasised that it would be prepared to oppose even a left-wing government to defend worker’s interests.

The other confederations lay greater emphasis on their political independence. Political tensions between the LIGA and other confederations, particularly MSZOSZ, increased at the end of 2006 when the LIGA supported demonstrations against the policies of the socialist government at a time of considerable political unrest.

Union membership has declined sharply over the 1990s and the decline does not seem to have ended. A report to the MSZOSZ 2002 congress noted “the average age of the membership is growing because of the often ineffective recruiting activities by the affiliates” and figures from the labour force survey show that the majority of union members are aged 40 to 54.

There are, however, differences in the rate of decline. Manufacturing and private services have been much more affected by economic change than the public services and utilities have been. Given the structure of Hungarian trade unionism, this means that MSZOSZ, which in the past was clearly the largest confederation, has been much more affected by membership loss than SZEF and ASZSZ, whose organising base has been less affected. Overall the figures from the labour force survey show that union density is highest in the public sector, transport, mining and energy supply.