Finance minister insists there is no money for wage hikes

Finance Minister Ivan Pilný from the ANO party maintains that there is no money left in next year’s draft budget for wage hikes for public sector employees.

The minister says that the proposed 15 percent wage hike for teachers and 10 percent increase for other public sector employees would require an additional 33 billion crowns and would increase next year’s budget deficit to close to 100 billion crowns.

The minister also dismissed the prime minister’s proposal that the money could come from the finances saved by individual ministries, saying the idea is unrealistic and the money is simply not there.

The coalition parties are to meet on Monday to debate the issue.