Prague, Aug 3 (CTK) – The minimum wage should increase by 700 crowns to 900 crowns or by 7.9 percent as of next January under the decree drafted by the Czech Labour and Social Affairs Ministry.
Under the proposal, the lowest earning of the people with invalidity pension should be changed, too.
At present, the people collecting this type of pension have a lower minimum wage of 8000 crowns. It is to be raised either to 9000 crowns or to 9300 crowns.
The decision is yet to be made by the government.
The minimum wage was increased most recently by 700 crowns to 9200 crowns this January.
In its coalition pact and policy manifesto, the government pledged to gradually raise the lowest earning to the two-fifths of the average salary. This year, it was 25,306 crowns a month.
The two-fifths corresponded to the sum of 10,122 crowns.
The lowest earning now constitutes about 36.4 percent of the average salary.
The ministry has proposed that the hourly wage be raised from 55 to 58.70 crowns.
The National Council of the Handicapped says that since the lower earning of the people with invalidity pension amounted to discrimination, the gap should be closed.
Earlier this year, the government approved a plan of equal chances for the disabled until 2020.
One of the measures wants to eliminate “the unequal position in remuneration.”
The minimum wage is paid to 2.3 percent of employees in the Czech Republic. The net lowest earning is 8188 crowns.
The Czech Republic introduced the institute of minimum wage in 1991. At that time, it amounted to 2000 crowns a month.
The Labour and Social Affairs Ministry says the minimum wage is paid in 22 EU countries, while that in the Czech Republic is among the lowest ones.
($1=24.648 crowns)
pv/dr/rtj
