Tesco reaches agreement with unions on this year’s wages

Following negotiations with the Trade Employees Union (KASZ) and Egyenlő.hu – the modern trade union, Tesco-Global Áruházak Zrt. has announced the amount of this year’s wage increase. The department store chain will increase the salaries of its employees by an average of 7.2%. The basic 8-hour wage of Tesco store employees will increase to HUF 418,000 gross from 1 March 2026, while the highest gross income available will increase to HUF 562,000. Tesco has increased the Cafeteria package by 25+25% in the past 2 years, which currently amounts to HUF 301,000 gross for every 8-hour employee.

Comprehensive benefits package

In recent years, Tesco has developed an outstanding benefits package for its employees, the total value of which is HUF 5 billion in the 2026/27 financial year. The package includes a 15% employee shopping discount with a discount limit increased from HUF 400,000 to HUF 450,000, and a commuting allowance increased from HUF 30/km to HUF 40/km.

In addition, the department store chain rewards employees celebrating anniversaries, greets new parents with a baby package voucher, provides school enrollment support and an extra day off for parents of schoolchildren, gives Christmas vouchers, and offers free training. The company places special emphasis on the general well-being of its colleagues, which is why it provides them with the Employee Support Program and online family doctor consultation, which is available free of charge 24 hours a day, within the framework of which it helps employees and their family members with lifestyle, financial, legal, and health issues. The Savings is Worth It! program also provides them with an untied savings opportunity combined with a discounted share purchase option.

Well beyond the mandatory

As part of Tesco’s family-friendly measures, extra paid leave is available for fathers, those planning adoption, future foster parents or those involved in the conception process, and those caring for their relatives. Tesco also provides 25 days of leave to employees under 35, and allows those returning from absence due to serious illness to work half their contractual working hours for the first four weeks at full pay. In addition, the supermarket chain’s Tesco Angel Foundation provides financial assistance totaling tens of millions of forints to hundreds of needy employees each year, doubling the contributions of colleagues.

“We are proud that in our latest annual survey, 86% of employees said that Tesco will be an inclusive workplace. This feedback also shows that we ensure that our colleagues’ needs are met in terms of wages and other benefits. Between 2017 and 2026, we implemented a wage development of nearly 40 billion forints, of which we increased salaries by 49% with an expenditure of 21.7 billion forints between 2022 and 2026 alone, and we also provide flexible working forms, special types of leave and other wide-ranging support that go beyond legal requirements, for which we won the Family-Friendly Company of the Year award in 2025. In the spirit of an inclusive culture, we also pay special attention to minors studying with us in dual training, which is why we developed a child protection guide for our employees together with the Hintalovon Foundation. to prevent and treat abuse”

– said Norbert Túróczi, HR Director of Tesco-Global Zrt.

“We know that every forint wage increase means a lot to employees. The parties have been conducting constructive negotiations in recent weeks, during which the trade union managed to make progress that enabled the signing of the agreement.”

– emphasized Zoltán Karsai, President of the Trade Union of Commercial Employees (KASZ).

“A fair wage agreement is not a cost, but an investment in people. Real results are achieved where the value of work is accompanied by respect, dialogue and responsibility.”

– emphasized Csaba Bubenkó, President of Egyenlő.hu – the modern trade union.