Parlt approves changes to overtime rules

Parliament on Wednesday voted to extend the period employers may account overtime for the purpose of calculating wages and rest days from twelve months to three years, and to raise the upper threshold for annual overtime from 250 to 400 hours. The legislation on the measures was passed with a vote of 130 for, 52 against and 1 abstention. Unions had protested the planned changes to the labour code, but the government argued the changes would serve the interests of workers for whom choosing to work extra hours would be voluntary. Opposition MPs started singing the Hungarian anthem during the vote, followed by booing while holding their MP cards in the air. They then left the chamber.