SZFE students demonstrate in front of the Ministry of Innovation and Technology

On Monday, students from the University of Theater and Film Arts (SZFE) will hold a demonstration in front of the Ministry of Innovation and Technology (ITM) to restore the institution’s autonomy.

They are protesting to the ITM because they believe the government should resolve the deadlock with the new board of trustees, as until January 1, 2022, the ministry still has foundational rights. “The situation is quite clear, we should sit down with the ministry and start over with them. You should go back to zero and start talking. There is also no discussion with the board of directors.Gábor Németh, the SZFE instructor, told 444.

Since the establishment of the board of directors was deemed illegal, the university’s faculty and students filed a complaint with the Constitutional Court on Friday for the board to overturn the law establishing the university-run foundation. According to them, the law that establishes the Foundation for the Arts of Theater and Cinema completely excludes university students from the operation of university self-government and “thus, it led to an arbitrary and unrestricted expansion of the power of the maintainer, to the cessation of institutional independence”.

Punishment

Since Attila Vidnyánszky’s board of directors appointed Gábor Szarka rector of the University of Theater and Film Arts, the former military man has mainly tried to make the strike and the university occupation impossible by administrative means. University professors and listeners told 444 that they, too, learned of Magpie’s footsteps through the press, but that they were not otherwise contacted. Since it was only through the press that they were appointed by the ministry as members of the university’s board of trustees.

At first, he threatened not to pay a salary if he was not admitted to the university. Later, however, he was not allowed to enter even though he announced that he considered the blockade of the university ended and prohibited any cooperation with the university occupants from the institution’s staff. After that, he turned off the internet in the building at SZFE Vas Street and Szentkirályi Street. And from the Ódry Stage, which houses the student forums, he dumped things from the university occupants and replaced the locks. Finally, he tried to evacuate the building by bringing forward fall break on Friday, which means that everyone (including the university residents) should have left the building by 6pm that day.

The students also rejected this ultimatum and requested patrimonial protection in VIII. of a district secretary so they cannot be fired. University professors, meanwhile, challenged the default order in court. They maintain that according to the Labor Code, the issuance of the leave must be notified to the employee fifteen days before the start of the leave. Therefore, Szarka’s announcement on Sunday that anyone staying at the university without permission is acting on their own responsibility is also considered null and void.

They insist that the fall recess will not begin until October 22, according to the regular schedule. Anyway, that wouldn’t mean emptying the buildings either. Life didn’t stop at SZFE in previous years either, as many people went to try-out or post-work even during the break.

It is also considered illegal for Attila Vidnyánszky to have appointed new Vice Chancellors without a tender. Gábor Németh justified this by the fact that according to the law, the board of trustees can only employ two people in total: one is the chancellor and the other is the rector. The vice-rectors must be appointed by the rector with the approval of the Senate. However, the university currently does not have a rector. Meanwhile, the deputy rector János Zalán threatened the students that if they did not negotiate they could lose the semester.

One of the university professors, Péter Forgács, told 444 that the students were not broken by the threats from the new leadership: “If the student sees that their professors are there as well and supports the university’s reservation while trying to bring my teaching up to par, it provides some reassurance. Of course, the reverse is also true. I’ve been long gone if the class I took responsibility for wasn’t here, and as long as they’re here, we think we can continue.“

The striking instructors continue to uphold their demands:

1. The maintainer must restore the powers of the SZFE Senate on August 1, 2020, in particular with regard to the establishment of the employer’s work organization and the provisions of article 20 (1) of the Labor Code. and guarantees the inviolability of its powers indefinitely.
2. The maintainer ensures that the topics in education and artistic creation, as well as the methods used in education and artistic creation, can be determined by the Senate of the SZFE (or the given professional unit of the SZFE or the instructor).
3. The maintainer guarantees that the internal organization and functioning of the SZFE Senate can be established by itself (for example, the creation – transformation, termination – of educational or creative units – and the creation of SZMSZ).
4. The maintainer guarantees that the heads of departments and departments can be elected by the SZFE Senate itself, and before the appointment of the rector, the call for candidatures can be determined, and the candidatures received can be known and nominated, all in one procedure transparent and democratic.
5. The maintainer guarantees that it will provide SZFE with at least the same amount of funds for budget year 2021 that was available in budget year 2020.
6. The maintainer ensures that the SZFE Senate can independently compile and submit to the maintainer the SZFE annual budget plan.
7. Since the employment status of SZFE employees changed on September 1, 2020 (employees’ civil servant status ceased), the employer should provide a 10% salary increase for employees as of the date of change of situation.
8. Since SZFE has changed from a higher education institution maintained by the state to an institution not maintained by the state, the new maintainer guarantees in the organizational and operational regulations that the work schedule in effect at the time of the state maintenance will be maintained for the employees. .