Prague, Aug 15 (CTK) – Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka will support the intention to raise the salaries of teachers by 15 percent and of the rest of the state sector employees by 10 percent in the talks of the government with trade unions, Josef Stredula, head of the CMKOS umbrella trade union, told CTK on Tuesday.
The change is to take effect in November, Stredula said.
Stredula said the proposal was “reasonable and corresponds with the economic growth.”
The government’s talks with the trade unions are set for August 21.
Sobotka said the government was deciding on a rise of salaries for 670,000 people, firefighters, policemen, teachers, carers, artists and other professions.
The Labour and Social Affairs Ministry has calculated several options of the pay rise. Most of them are to increase the salaries from 8 to 13 percent for selected professions as of November and January.
Sobotka tends to prefer the alternative of teachers’ pay rise by 15 percent, while the rest would receive 10 percent more.
“We are able to cope with this. On the part of the Finance Ministry, the necessary cuts in the costs were identified. We are to agree with the coalition partners that a 10 percent rise for all and 15 percent for teachers should be one of the priorities of the budget,” Sobotka said.
He said the teachers should be given the biggest pay rise because compared with those from other EU countries, they earned the least.
Stredula said by accepting the proposal, the government would make it clear that it trusted the Czech economy.
On Monday, the government is also decide on the growth in the minimum wage next year.
The Labour and Social Affairs Ministry has proposed an increase by 1200 crowns to 12,200 crowns a month. The trade unions demand 1500 crowns more and employers only 800 crowns.
