Prague now unlikely to see transport strike on Tuesday

A strike by workers at the Prague transport authority provisionally planned for Tuesday looks likely to be averted. Union leaders said that the city’s branch of the Civic Democrats were electing a new leadership on Tuesday and a strike could influence voting. The workers say they will not accept a mooted pay cut of seven percent. The Civic Democrat mayor of Prague, Pavel Bém, said on Sunday that city hall would provide the struggling transport authority without 900 million crowns in reserves in order to help it overcome its dire financial situation. Mr Bém has set up a crisis committee to help deal with the problems at the company; however, union leaders said they found unacceptable the make-up of the committee, which features executives who they say helped bring about the company’s current problems.

Author: Ian Willoughby