Hungarian public media starts mass layoffs. Some staff may get no severance

The interim management of Hungary’s public media told staff on 2 October that it has started a collective redundancy process, the news site 444 reported. The cuts cover MTVA and Duna Médiaszolgáltató, which together employ about 2,000 people. The union and the works council were told before the announcement, according to Kontroll.

MTVA has not said how many jobs will go

Management gave no number. Hungarian media report different figures. Kontroll writes that more than 100 people may be dismissed. Magyar Nemzet puts the target at about 600. In September, management denied a report that 600 jobs would be cut.

Under Hungary’s labour code, an employer with more than 300 staff has to announce a collective redundancy when 30 or more jobs go. The public broadcaster is far above that line.

Staff dismissed for conduct may get no severance

Employees can agree to leave by mutual consent and receive severance. The interim management, led by András P. Horváth, also warned that people dismissed over their conduct may get nothing. 444 lists lack of cooperation and breaking internal rules among the grounds. In July, more than 50 employees were suspended during an internal audit, Magyar Nemzet reported, and some of them are expected to be on the list.

Péter Magyar’s government halted MTVA news in July

The layoffs follow April’s election, which Péter Magyar won against Viktor Orbán. On 7 July MTVA stopped its news programmes after parliament passed a media reform bill, AFP reported in August. A new chief executive is to be picked in an open tender. Hungary’s private sector is shrinking too: in June Mediaworks, a publisher close to Orbán’s Fidesz party, announced 200 layoffs.

Public broadcasters elsewhere are also cutting. Germany’s WDR is dropping 76 programmes and 133 jobs, and in the UK Channel 4 confirmed 340 job cuts.

Two answers are still missing. How many of the 2,000 jobs will go, and who will win the open tender to run the broadcaster?