Related articles
MailboxMailbox
In this week's edition of Mailbox, we talk about the latest statistics on
the population, weddings, divorces, and abortions, the new summer
programme, and our competitions. Listeners quoted: Hans Bachman and
Kingsley Otteng.
More
Countdown to EuropeThe movement of labour
When the Czech Republic joins the European Union, its citizens will not
only benefit economically but they will also be able to enjoy the
advantages of travelling, studying and working in the union without
restriction. Or at least that was the argument used by the Czech
government to convince its citizens to vote in favour of EU membership,
and it worked. With an unemployment rate of ten percent, the country's
younger generation hopes to have the opportunity to work freely elsewhere,
while learning a new language and gaining international experience in the
process. After a long period of preparation and accession talks, the Czech
Republic is finally to become a fully-fledged member of the EU on May 1st
this year. In this week's Countdown to Europe, we ask Tomas Vyprachticky
from the Czech Foreign Ministry's EU information centre Euroskop, how free
the movement of labour will really be:
More
Business NewsBusiness News
Inflation accelerates beyond expectations to its fastest rate in nearly two
years. The unemployment rate rises to a record 10.8 percent but many are
reluctant to take available jobs. Labour and Social Affairs Minister is
planning to tighten the conditions for foreigners who want to obtain a
business licence. Czech construction firms are merging so as to have
easier access to large contracts financed from European Union funds.
More
Talking PointCzechs test a new approach to migration management - will it combat aging population?
Since January 2003, authorities have been running a programme to attract
skilled foreign workers to the Czech Republic as the country's population
ages and Czechs go abroad to work. The scheme is still in the trial
stages, open to applicants from just three countries - Bulgaria, Croatia,
and Kazakhstan. Under the programme, potential immigrants are given
fast-track access to residence permits, allowing them to settle
permanently in this country after just two and a half years - instead of
the usual ten.
More
Current AffairsUkrainian "guestworkers" continue to be milked of their wages
As Prague develops into one Central Europe's main commercial capitals,
there are literally hundreds of new building sites in the city, to feed a
seemingly unlimited demand for new office and retail space. On many of
these building sites you will only rarely hear Czech, as a huge percentage
of the workers are migrants from Western Ukraine. There are 100 000
Ukrainian nationals currently thought to be working in the Czech Republic,
around half of them without work permits; that's in total about one
percent of the Czech population. These migrant workers are among the most
vulnerable people in society, particularly prone to semi-legal commercial
organizations that milk their wages and take advantage of the willingness
of construction companies to turn a blind eye. The sociologist Daniel
Satra has just completed a study on this disturbing phenomenon. He
described to David Vaughan how the system works.
More
Current AffairsCzechs bid to attract skilled migrants
For the past year now, the authorities have been running a scheme to lure skilled foreign workers to the Czech Republic as the country's population ages and people go abroad to work. The scheme is still in the trial stages, open to applicants from just three countries - Bulgaria, Croatia, and Kazakhstan. Under the scheme, potential immigrants are given fast-track access to residence permits, allowing them to settle permanently in this country after just two and a half years instead of the usual ten. One of them is Mladin Barbalic, a 40-year-old civil engineer from Croatia who came to Prague in 1994. Kay Grigar spoke to him. More
Press ReviewPress Review
There's a mix of stories on today's front pages, from the launch of Krystof
II - the second nationwide police crackdown on bad driving - to
allegations of serious mismanagement of the entrance exams for one of the
most prestigious academic bodies in the country: the law faculty of
Charles University. LIDOVE NOVINY, meanwhile, features a front-page photo
of Spanish heir to the throne Prince Filipe, showing off his bride-to-be,
31-year-old TV presenter Letizia Ortiz. And why that is of interest to
anyone in the Czech Republic is beyond me...
More
MagazineCzech Republic needs qualified foreign workers
As you may already have heard on Radio Prague, the Czech Republic needs an
influx of qualified foreign workers. A country with an aging population
and a declining birth rate needs new blood and the government is taking
steps to smooth the way. In 2004 the Czech Republic will join the European
Union but as one of ten newcomers it is unlikely to attract many work
candidates from the well-to-do EU states. On the other hand, as a new EU
member it will be much more attractive to qualified workers from the East.
Rather than letting that process take its natural course, the Czech
government has launched a project which should enable it to give
preference treatment to those candidates who would best meet the country's
needs: ie. people with a secondary school or university education,
preferably couples with children and -most important of all people who
would be willing to settle in this country permanently. A working
knowledge of Czech is considered a bonus though not a condition. In the
first phase of the project the Labour and Social Affairs Ministry has
invited candidates from three countries - Bulgaria, Croatia and Kazachstan
to file their applications. Michal Meduna is head of the Labour Ministry's
Department for Migration :
More
Current AffairsCzech government plans to lure skilled workers from the East
The Czech Cabinet is launching a long term project which should address the
negative demographic trend in the Czech Republic - an aging population and
a low birth rate. According to statistics, the Czech Republic, whose
current population is just over ten million, will lack a total of 420,000
skilled labourers in twenty years' time.
More
Current Affairs'Diversity in Libraries' project fighting against racism
An interesting project aimed at teaching people more about ethnic
minorities in the Czech Republic has just come to an end. Two
non-governmental organisations - the Prague Multicultural Centre and
Brno's Youth for Intercultural Understanding - took part in the project,
which was called 'Diversity in Libraries' and was part of an anti-racism
campaign launched by the Czech government at the beginning of this year.
Alena Skodova reports:
More
