During the civilian government, the increase in the minimum wage in Hungary is continuous

The European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) today held a debate on how MEPs would like to see the European Commission’s draft proposal on “Adequate minimum wages in the European Union” amended. MEPs agreed that an adequate minimum wage is an important tool in the fight against in-work poverty. Fidesz MEP Ádám Kósa underlined in connection with the debate that, contrary to Mrs Gyurcsány’s promise, there is no question of introducing the European minimum wage.

MEP Kósa said: the aim of the draft proposal issued by the European Commission is to have an adequate minimum wage level in all EU Member States. The EU would therefore provide a kind of benchmark against which to assess the adequacy of the minimum wage in a given country. According to the draft text, such a benchmark could be the purchasing power of the minimum wage, which should be measured by the level and growth of gross wages and should also take into account the productivity developments in a given country.

The Hungarian Government is committed to protecting workers. Since 2010, the level of the minimum wage in Hungary has been steadily increasing. In Hungary, the schedule of raising the minimum wage is predictable and is implemented with the involvement of the social partners. The government also determines the national minimum wage and the guaranteed minimum wage after consultation with the social partners, and then fixes it annually, sometimes for two years in advance, in a government decree. With regard to higher wages, average earnings and the real earnings calculated from them, it can be said that they have been growing steadily.

MEP Ádám Kósa emphasized that wages at the national level clearly fall within the competence of the Member States, for the reason of avoiding that EU-level regulation weakens the competitiveness of Hungarian enterprises, especially SMEs.