Government reaches an agreement on next years’ state budget. It will exceed 11 billion euro; 21 million euro will be used for an average wage increase of 10% for police officers and border guards. Government officials declared that salaries of front-line employees, foremost patrol police officers and border guards, will increase the most. The budget bill is still to be approved.
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[close]The tradition of tripartite meetings that for many years did not take place in the country was restored last spring as a procedure to discuss labour market problems. In September, government, unions and employers met again, this time to discuss the countries’ gender wage gap that still is one of the widest in the European Union. Several topics were discussed such as the flexibility of employment and lifelong learning.
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[close]The coalition government, employers and trade union leaders have jointly approved the priorities outlined in the government’s draft budget for 2019. The Finance Ministry proposed a state budget with a 40 billion crown deficit, that envisages a substantial improvement of public sector wages, higher pensions and more money for investments. The government aims to scrap 1300 jobs in public administration. However, the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic and the Czech Chamber of Commerce criticized the fact that wage increases to public servants will be higher than to those working in the private sector.
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[close]Employees of the social care centres have organised a hunger strike for eight hours in a protest against poor pay. The problem of low wages in social care centres has not been resolved for years, according to the trade unions of government agencies, local authorities, companies and financial workers. Informal carers in social care centres are still working on a minimum wage. Work is physically and morally very difficult, and in recent years the responsible ministry has done virtually nothing to improve the income situation.
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[close]The supreme court has ratified fines that were charged to four Uber drivers for failing to have permits and violating laws that the country introduced to regulate Uber. The laws were implemented in February 2017 in response to protests that Uber creates an unfair competition by not following the legal standards that are required for established taxi firms. Nowadays Uber drivers must have seat sensors and fare meters in their cars. The drivers are also obliged to have official permits to transport passengers. The supreme court’s verdict is paving the way for similar fines on a further 1,500 drivers. Trade union 3F stated to be pleased with the supreme courts’ decision but calls for authorities to pursue Uber itself and not just its drivers.
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[close]Trade unions that organise nurses expected a ‘massive turnout’ for a joint national strike scheduled for 20 and 21 of September as they demand the government to present a new career revision proposal. They demand pay increases across the board, better career progressions and a pay supplement for specialised nurses. The supplement was agreed in 2017. However, the government sees it as a temporary provision.
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[close]According to a press release of the statistical office INE, the labour cost of companies stood at 2,602.01 euro per worker per month in the second quarter of 2018, with a variation rate of 0.7% as compared with the same period of 2017. The wage cost per worker per month increased by 0.5%, standing at an average of 1,951.81 euro. Other related costs increased by 1.2%, standing at 650.20 euro per worker per month. The document provides details by economic sector and by region. Also outlined is the impact of seasonal effects.
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[close]The tripartite council that consists of employers, trade unions and government failed to reach an agreement on increase of the minimum wage. Trade unions are demanding that the minimum wage, currently a monthly 420 euro, increases to 450 euro. Meanwhile the government states that minimum wages could only be increased to 430 euro a month. This would be in line with the governments’ latest economic development scenario for 2019. Employers have yet another view on the matter. They propose differentiating in wages per region with salary increases varying in proportion to the average local salary.
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[close]In the upcoming wage negotiations trade union LANV will demand pay rises between 1 and 2.5%. Depending on the industry, wages should be increased by up to 2.5%. Furthermore, the union wants the minimum wages to be raised to 3,500 francs for unskilled workers at a 13 months' wage. In recent years employees have had to settle for modest wage increases and many zero pay rounds. The union states that zero pay rounds are out of place this year.
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[close]Trade union FNV has a tradition of yearly setting one nationwide percentage for the pay rise that they will demand in the hundreds of collective agreements in which they are involved. For 2019, FNV will go for a pay rise of 5%, the highest pay rise they’ve come forward with in 30 years. According to the union, wages are growing to slow in the context of rapid economic growth and labour shortages and thus a pay rise of 5% is reasonable. Besides the pay rises, FNV will focus in the upcoming bargaining season on creating more secure jobs. Employers’ associations are of the opinion that a central pay demand is a backward concept.
Read on: in English … The bargaining demands: in Dutch …
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