Socialists slam government over bill changing union membership fee deduction

Under the current rules, employers deduct union membership fees from workers’ wages and transfer them to the trade union designated by the employee, Imre Komjathi, the party’s co-leader, told a press conference. The Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office has submitted a bill for public discussion that would change this practice and the employer would not be obliged to transfer the membership fees to certain unions, he added.

Komjathi said the government had “done everything in the past ten years to curb workers’ rights”, and this move would be a “serious blow to the trade unions that protect workers”. The representation of workers’ interests should be strengthened, not destroyed, Komjathi said, adding that workers needed physical security, proper remuneration, a social safety net and strong unions.