March 29. 2024. 6:41

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Czech trade unions declare emergency strike over austerity measures


Local trade unions declared an emergency strike on Monday in response to the government’s austerity package, which includes increasing corporate taxes and lowering public sector salaries.

The government presented its austerity package on Thursday with the aim of consolidating public finances. However, proposed measures face harsh criticism.

“With immediate effect, ČMKOS is declaring a strike alert. This is a very serious situation for us. We are convinced that what took place on Thursday exceeded all limits we could imagine,” Josef Středula, chairman of the Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions, said on Monday.

According to Středula, some announced austerity measures are “directly against the employees and their families”. He cited the introduction of sickness insurance for employees as a specific problematic measure.

According to Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS), the declaration of the strike emergency is irresponsible.

“We have made sure that the package does not significantly affect any social group, that the most vulnerable in our society are affected as little as possible,” Fiala said in reaction to the unions’ decision.

“In this context, we do not understand the strike readiness of the trade unions. We see this attitude as irresponsible and as one that does not lead or contribute to the dialogue in society,” Fiala said.

“This is not the first time they have opted for demonstrations instead of dialogue,” he added.

Besides the “consolidation package, the Czech government also proposed a pension system reform. It envisages, among other things, an automatic change in the retirement age based on life expectancy, a tightening of the rules for early retirement, and a slowdown in the rate of growth of pensions.

(Aneta Zachová | EURACTIV.cz)

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