Hungary: Protest planned in Budapest over labor law January 7 /update 10

Event

A protest denouncing a controversial labor law is slated to take place on Színház Street in Budapest beginning at 12:00 (local time) on Monday, January 7.

Additional protests are to be expected in Hungary over the coming days and weeks. On January 3, opposition members of parliament pledged to make 2019 a "year of resistance" against the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. A heightened security presence and localized traffic disruptions are to be expected near demonstration sites. Clashes between protesters and security forces cannot be ruled out.

Context

Protests denouncing a controversial labor law and judicial reform first erupted in Hungary on December 12, 2018. Clashes between protesters and security forces took place on December 12, 13, and 14, with police officers using tear gas to disperse crowds. President János Áder signed the labor reforms into law despite the protests. Opponents of the law have called the reforms a "slave law"; the law increased the number of overtime hours employers can demand employees to work from 250 to 400 hours a year. It also allows associated overtime payment to be delayed up to three years.

Advice

Individuals in Hungary are advised to avoid all protests as a precaution, monitor the situation, anticipate localized business and transportation disruptions near protest sites, and obey instructions issued by the local authorities.