Budapest, December 30 (MTI) – Hungary’s junior governing SZDSZ
party started its campaign on the 2008 referendum on Sunday, calling
on people to cast their votes in support of the government’s key
public sector reforms. Party executive Tamas Wittinghof said the opposition had
initiated the referendum with a view to overthrow the government.
The three referendum questions concerning the cancellation of
co-payment fees for visiting doctors and hospitals and tuition fees
serve the opposition’s political purposes and they are not
professional issues. It will be the greatest task of 2008 to explain
to the people that this referendum cannot be used to overthrow the
government, he added. Continue »

Budapest, December 30 (MTI) – A total of 1.3 million people are
eligible for free flu jabs in Hungary, the government spokesperson
said on Sunday. Free flu jabs are offered to those who suffer from
cardiovascular diseases, kidney problems, diabetes and other
problems affecting the metabolism, as well as social and healthcare
workers and people aged above 60, David Daroczi said. These people
will not be charged co-payment for visiting the doctor when they get
the flu jab, he added. Those not eligible for free vaccination will be charged between
940 and 1041 forints for the flu jab, which is the actual cost of
the serum. However, they will not be charged the usual 300 forints
co-payment for visiting the doctor.
(EUR 1 = HUF 253.35) Continue »

Budapest, December 30 (MTI) – The Independent Railway Workers
Union (VDSzSz) plans to resume talks with Hungarian railways MAV in
early January with a view to achieve additional remuneration to its
members, the trade union’s chairman said on Sunday. VDSzSz refused to join other railway trade unions in signing a
wage agreement with MAV on Saturday. VDSzSz criticised MAV for not
fulfilling a 10 percent wage increase demand by workers in two of
the company’s divisions, Istvan Gasko said. In addition, the trade
union expects MAV to “share with” employees part of the revenues
collected from the privatisation of its cargo division, he added.  Continue »

Budapest, December 30 (MTI) – Monday forecast calls for overcast
skies and foggy weather. Snow is possible in several parts of the
country. Weak or moderate winds, picking up in the west on Monday
afternoon. Lowest night-time temperatures will be between -4 and -9 degrees
Celsius while the daytime highs will be between -1 and -6 degrees
Celsius, the National Weather Service forecasts. Continue »

Vienna, December 30 (MTI) – A group of ten Serbians was stopped
in Austria after arriving illegally from Hungary, with the help of
human traffickers, the Austrian authorities reported on Sunday. The Serbs were stopped at Moerbisch am See in Burgenland where
they applied for refugee status in Austria after being captured.
However, they will probably be deported and returned to Hungary
where they had already applied for refugee status in September and
October. The group, including children, had been staying in a refugee
camp in Bekescsaba in northeast Hungary. The authorities have started an investigation to identify the
human trafficker. Continue »