Czech strike threat

CMKOS, the main Czech union confederation, has announced that it will maintain its threat of strike action over the government’s plans to tackle the country’s deficit by a 10% cut in the pay of public sector employees.

At the start of September the centre-right government led by Petr Necas announced its plan for a 10% cut in the pay of all public sector employees other than those in education. Teachers’ pay is to go up by 3.5%.

This has already provoked a strong reaction, and on 21 September 40,000 people took part in a union demonstration in Prague against the pay cuts — around twice as many as expected.

Discussions have continued between the government and CMKOS negotiators and the government has conceded that it will not cut basic rates in 2011. However, it still wants to cut its paybill by 10% and is looking at other ways of doing so. In response, CMKOS general secretary Jaroslav Zavadil last month told the prime minister that the strike threat remained in force.