"Unions protest at tire factory", 4 Aug 2014

Trade unions on Monday held a demonstration at the factory of Hankook Tire Magyarorszag in Racalmas, south of Budapest, in protest against the treatment of workers. Speaking before 250-300 demonstrators, Tamas Szekely of the VDSZ union said the protest did not only concern workers at the tyre factory who had been wrongly fired for bogus reasons, but was also on behalf of all Hungarian workers...He added that the Hungarian Chemical, Energy and Allied Workers' Union had put forward a proposal for a framework for talks on upholding the rights of workers and on ceasing the company's "unlawful" activity...Istvan Bognar, one of the recently fired unionists, told MTI that he had been dismissed on unfounded charges of non-cooperation and misleading company officials. He added that he would seek legal remedy for what he called his illegitimate dismissal...In a statement, Hankook Tire said the company considered Bognar's dismissal as a labour issue rather than a trade union one, and insisted that termination of his employment would not affect his position or activities as a union official. "Hankook has never terminated the employment of any trade union member or official because they were a union member," the statement said.