Hungarian care workers win landmark 20 per cent pay rise in one year

Care workers at a Budapest daycare institution for elderly and disabled people have won a remarkable 20 per cent pay increase in a single year, a major victory achieved through strategic organizing and determined collective action, the Union of Social Care Workers (SZÁD) announced last week.

The wage hike directly benefits 120 workers at the care institution, but its impact extends further, as all care and nursery workers—around 500 employees—employed by the local government will also see their pay rise. 

“This is an extraordinary victory. These care workers, facing incredibly tough economic conditions and operating under a government hostile to unions, have proven that when workers organize and take action, they can win—no matter the odds,” said the Alan Sable, Head of Care for UNI Global Union.

Hungary’s political climate has grown increasingly authoritarian, with the government implementing anti-union policies and restricting workers’ rights. Despite these challenges, the care home union pushed forward, utilizing creative and strategic collective action to strengthen its demands. Their success stands as a powerful example for workers everywhere, proving that courage and unity can lead to real change.

“We proved that there is strength in unity, that the trade union has the right to exist,” said Katalin Papp-Geier, a leading member of the SZÁD branch, which led the negotiations.

A 20% pay rise in just one year is a phenomenal achievement in any context. In Hungary’s current socio-economic and political landscape, it is nothing short of groundbreaking. This win not only improves conditions for care workers in Budapest’s 11th district but also sends a clear message: even in the face of adversity, workers who organize and fight back can achieve the impossible.