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EMPLOYERS, UNIONS AIM TO SET CONDITIONAL MINIMUM WAGE RISES FOR 2-3 YEARS

 

Employers and unions have agreed that the rate of minimum wage hikes should be set over the coming period of two to three years, the daily Magyar Idők said. Minimum wages for skilled work is currently 180,500 forints (EUR 561.2), while unskilled labourers get 138,000. The minimum wage has risen markedly since the government reached an agreement late in 2016 with employers and unions on pay increases paired with payroll tax cuts over a period of six years. The agreement specified minimum wage rises for 2017 and 2018, but not for the subsequent years. Magyar Idők said unions on Tuesday continued to press for a double-digit minimum wage increase next year, while employers argued that the minimum wage cannot rise sustainably at a rate that exceeds economic growth.