Real wages have started to decline in Hungary for the first time in 12 months which “goes to show that the Fidesz-led government has failed in its pandemic-related crisis management efforts”, according to the co-leader of opposition LMP.
“While gross average wages have increased by an annual 3.5%, inflation has risen to 5% over the past 12 months,” Máté Kanász-Nagy told an online press conference. He noted that the gross wage increase also included a one-off payment of 500,000 forints (EUR 1,435) to health-care workers. In 2020, an average Hungarian household had a monthly net income of 197,000 forints, the politician said, adding that more than one million people were making minimum wage. LMP’s programme includes guaranteeing everyone a steady income increase instead of distributing one-off payments as “a donation”, Kanász-Nagy said, adding that the wages of teachers and employees in the culture and social sectors had stagnated over a long period of time. The party promises to introduce a fairer tax policy including scrapping any tax on the minimum wage and reducing the tax on incomes up to 500,000 forints to 12%, the politician said.
hungarymatters.hu
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