“On Wednesday, and during the upcoming days, 170 thousand healthcare workers will be receiving their bonuses of 500 thousand forints gross in recognition of their efforts during the coronavirus epidemic; the government is providing 101 billion forints (EUR 283.8 million) for the one-time, extraordinary remuneration”, Minister of Human Capacities Miklós Kásler announced in Budapest on Wednesday.

At a press conference to mark Semmelweis Day, Mr. Kásler said that the government, in line with its promise, is rewarding healthcare workers for the sacrifices they have undertaken. The bonus was announced by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in early March on Kossuth Radio.

Amongst others, extraordinary renumeration will be received by the employees of hospitals, specialist clinics, one-day surgery service providers, laboratory and dialysis service providers, the National Ambulance Service and other patient transport service providers, and the National Blood Supply Service.

Accordingly, the bonus will be received by doctors, nurses, assistants and cleaners, as well as by people working in technical and administrative fields, general practitioners, dentists and midwives providing basic services, full-time school doctors, and workers who provide healthcare services with relation to home hospice services and home professional nursing services.
The remuneration will also be received by healthcare workers and other contributors to the National Centre for Public Health and government offices and district offices involved in protecting against the epidemic, medical universities and their students who played a role in the fight against the epidemic, as well as employees of the Hungarian Defence Forces (HDF) who undertook a role in public duties or protection and healthcare duties, or who work within the field of protection and healthcare.

According to the Minister, part-time employees are also eligible to receive the full bonus, as are people who are currently on vacation, on unpaid leave or sick leave, or on maternity leave. Everyone is only eligible to receive the remuneration once, even if they have several jobs, he added.

Mr. Kásler also told the press that based on the Cabinet’s decision the salary of teachers will be increasing by 10 percent from July of this year. “Everyone employed as a teacher is eligible to receive the sectoral professional supplement”, he explained.

He pointed out that teachers’ salaries have increased by an average of 50 percent since 2013, and the government is spending an additional 355 billion forints (EUR 997 million) on teachers’ salaries compared to 2010. “All this is contributing to improving the job market situation of teachers, and their professional and social status”, he declared.

Mr. Kásler also mentioned that the pay supplements of 6 thousand head teachers will be doubled from July. “Deputy heads and the heads of member institutions and institutional units, a total of 9 thousand further teachers, will be eligible to receive half the supplement increase. In addition to all this, the heads of institutions will also be given the right to award a special motivational pay supplement up to a maximum monthly sum of 101,500 forints gross”, the Minister stated.

(Ministry of Human Capacities / MTI)