Hungarians living in Slovakia still
struggle for their language rights and national identity eleven years
after the country joined the European Union. According to press reports, a Hungarian saleswomen has lost her job in Somorja (Šamorín / Sommerein), a town near the country’s capital Pozsony (Bratislava / Pressburg), because she spoke in Hungarian to local costumers.
The saleswoman had worked previously
for German shoe and sportswear retail chain Deichmann in Pozsony and
later in her home town as well for the same company. Disapproving her
habit of speaking Hungarian with locals, one of her colleagues
complained to the boss of the store, who told the woman not to use her
mother tongue anymore during work time. Two days later she was fired. “I
live here, thus I know a lot of people. I spoke in Hungarian only to
Hungarians, I used Slovak language with others”, the saleswoman
explained.
The head of Deichmann’s Czech and Slovak unit told news site trafik.sk
that using Hungarian language would never be a reason for dismissal in
the company as all the Hungarian employees are allowed to use their
mother tongue with fellow Hungarian costumers. The reason for sacking
the saleswoman is something else, but it will not be disclosed due to
personality rights and labour law, the company said.
The Hungarian unit of the multinational
company has also released a statement regarding the case, claiming that
Deichmann has always been “committed to the respect of nationalities and
local cultures.” Our group employs more than 80 people who belong to
one of the national minorities. Furthermore, having good and close
relations with our costumers serves our business interests as well.
However, the Hungarian saleswoman is not
willing to give up her job and decided to issue an official complain to
the German owners of the company. The legal aid service of civil
organisation “Roundtable of Hungarians in Slovakia” has also offered
support to the woman. “Unfortunately we are aware of more similar cases
in Somorja.”, says Klaudia Szekeres, lawyer of the legal aid service.
According to the 2011 census, the municipality of Somorja had 7,309 Hungarian and 4,365 Slovak inhabitants. Despite the storms of the 20th century, still about half a million ethnic Hungarians live in Slovakia, mostly in the Southern regions of the country.
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