Protesters, police clash in Hungary for third straight night

BUDAPEST: Anti-government demonstrations in Budapest on Friday ended in clashes for a consecutive third night between police and protesters angry at Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s controversial new laws on workers rights and the judicial system.

Some of the 2,000 protesters outside the Hungarian parliament threw bottles and smokebombs at riot police who responded with tear gas.

During this week’s disturbances, the most violent in Hungary for over a decade, police said more than 50 people had been arrested and at least 14 police injured.

Demonstrators also marched along main roads and across bridges temporarily blocking traffic.

“Orban get lost! Viktator! Viktator!” they shouted.

The unrest was sparked after opposition parties blew sirens and whistles inside parliament Wednesday in an unsuccessful effort to prevent the adoption of two controversial bills.

A labour code change dubbed the ‘slave law’ by its critics hikes the maximum annual overtime hours for workers and extends the time period for calculating and paying overtime to three years.

Trade unions say the changes were made at the behest of large international manufacturing companies and could expose workers to exploitation as well as delay overtime payments.

According to the government the law will benefit both those wanting to work more hours and employers who need more manpower as the economy struggles with labour shortages.