Socialists speak out for Hungarian Suzuki factory workers

The opposition Socialist Party has penned a letter to the president of Japanese auto maker Suzuki with the aim of protecting the rights of workers at the manufacturer’s Hungarian plant and will submit an amendment proposal to parliament in the matter, two of the party’s politicians said on Wednesday.

Imre Komjáthi, one of the party’s deputy leaders, told a press conference that though Suzuki was a strategic partner of the Hungarian government, the partnership agreement did not address the protection of Hungarian workers. The Socialist Party will therefore submit a bill to parliament in the autumn which will only allow the establishment of strategic partnerships with companies “that not only tolerate but also support the establishment of trade unions”, he said.

Komjáthi noted that a

lthough a union was formed at the Suzuki factory in February, its secretary was laid off and escorted out of the building by security guards the following day.

The employment lawsuit in the matter is still ongoing, he added.

He said the fact that the worker in question has still not been allowed to return to the factory, as well as Suzuki’s opposition to the formation of a union at the company went against both the constitution and the labour code.