Trade Unions Need to Adopt a New Way

Trade unions need to renew themselves, because in the times ahead, they need strong, organized employee interest groups in partnership with political parties, the Hungarian Trade Union Confederation (MASZSZ) said at its traditional Labor Day workers’ gathering (May Day picnic) in Budapest on Sunday.

Speaking at the event in Városliget (City Park), recently elected MASZSZ president, Róbert Zlati, said the trade union movement should conduct a self-assessment based on the work done and its results.

"Let's look in the mirror", the president asked, seeking an answer to the question of whether good work is being done when the number of trade union members is constantly decreasing or even stagnating.

He said that in order to change the situation, they needed to adopt a new style, a new method and a new way of doing things, so that they could become a movement that is understandable to all and attractive to young people.

He said that trade unions are the custodians of democracy, especially democracy at the workplace. Therefore, according to Róbert Zlati, it is not enough for trade unions to provide support to their members in the workplace, but they must continue to engage in open politics when the interests of their members require so. To do this, unions must seek partners among the political parties, he added.