Teachers demonstrate against proposed wage cuts

Hundreds of teachers went out into the rainy streets of Prague Tuesday to protest wage cuts planned for in the 2010 budget. As per the proposed budget, state employees’ salaries are to be cut by 4%, entailing a total 3.1-billion-crown cut for education. The teachers’ unions organising the demonstration say they have received promises from the Social Democratic and Communist Parties; the results of their petitioning however will only be apparent when Parliament votes on the budget on Wednesday. The government and the Civic Democratic Party are strongly opposed to any further changes to the proposed budget.