Government official discusses teacher wage hikes with civil groups
At a press conference after the meeting, Retvari said teachers will receive a 75 percent wage increase over the next three years.
The government is committed to raising the wages of teachers, the state secretary said. Accordingly, teachers will see their wages rise by 21 percent next year, 25 percent in 2024 and 29 percent in 2025, he said, adding that their average wage will increase to 770,000 forints (EUR 1,845). He said Monday’s agreement on EU recovery funding for Hungary would be “an important step” for the wage increases.
Meanwhile, Retvari said he had been surprised by a call by teachers’ unions for a public education roundtable to be set up, arguing that a public education strategic roundtable had already been established years ago. This, he noted, comprised teacher organisations, unions, student associations, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the Hungarian Art Academy, employers and public school operators.
Talks are also ongoing with strike committees, Retvari said, noting that over the summer and autumn the government had consulted with teachers on the conditions in schools.