1988. augusztus (184-207. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2

/ <« hj w n fariam (§) 9 ermm?? .. j

©[fK

Editor: György Krassó * 24/D Little Russell Street * London, WC1A 2HN * Tel. 01-430 2126 (írom abroad 441-430 2126)

194/1988 (E) 21st August, 1988

The SWDU*s "Statement" About the Govemment* s Economic Measures

In May the first independent trade unión fór many decades was formed in Hungary, the Scientific Workers Democratic Union which opened the door fór workers in other fields too. The establishment of the new unión was legal: national social organisations do nőt need a licence. The SWDU has been attacked openly and indirectly several times, a site fór its founding meeting could only be found with great difficulty, and its initiatives caused hostility from the Civil Service Workers Union which belongs to the National Trade Union Council. The Civil Service Workers Union quickly established a separate branch fór scientific workers within its own framework. It is possible that the two parallel unions will be members of the National Trade Union Council at the same time; the SWDU is nőt averse to joining if it can still raaintain its independence.

On Wednesday the SWDU National Committee held a meeting and after a penetrating debate issued a "Statement” about the govemment’s recent economic measures. These measures had already been criticised three weeks earüier by the National Trade Union Council (NTUC). The SWDU’s "Statement" which is more profound and radical than that of the NTUC was reported in the August 20th issue of Heti Világgazdaság ("Weekly Wo rld Economy").

The SWDU National Committee states that the Hungárián public were scandalized by the fact that the forint had been devalued once more and that more consumer goods such as petrol, beer and cigarettes had gone up in price. By doing this the government has broken its promise nőt to take further inflationary measures this year. The "Statement" says that this is hardly surprising as there were no grounds fór this promise based as it was on biassed and mistaken estimates. Last September’s govemment programme and the A and B variants of the economic policy plán now under dis- cussion reveal that the govemment still does nőt confront the gravity of the crisis. The govemment passes the buck to the population, it still continues investments which will never bring retums, fór example the construction of the Bös-Nagymaros dam. It does nőt reduce military expenditure, it does nőt dispense with the inflated apparátus of administration and political life and it continues to support enterprises which are running at a loss. These measures which reduce the standard of living will nőt lead to economic renewal or social accord.

The SWDU says that it does nőt lay claim to any sort of support from central or local public money and it proposes that the NTUC and other social organisations should nőt accept budget allowances. The SWDU does nőt wish "to be pre-informed about the govemment* s life standard limiting measures and thus share even in the smallest degree any responsibility fór them" - finishes the August 17th "Statement" by the National Committee which is significantly different from the NTUC’s earlier declaration.

Subscribers can use or quote the Hungárián October newsletters in totál or in detail as long as the source is acknowledged.