Prague, July 21 (CTK) – The salaries of Czech civil servants will probably be raised by more than 3 percent as of November, the CMKOS umbrella trade union leader Josef Stredula said after talks with Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, Labour Minister Michaela Marksova and Finance Minister Andrej Babis yesterday.
Earlier this year, the centre-left government proposed a 3-percent pay rise as of 2016, but the CMKOS demanded that salaries go up by 5 percent.
“If it is from November as we agreed on, then it seems that it will be more than the originally planned 3 percent,” Stredula said about the pay rise for civil servants.
But Babis (ANO) said the salaries could be increased by the planned 3-percent this year already if there is enough money in the state budget. The pay rise in November and December would cost additional 660 million crowns, he added.
Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) wrote on Twitter that it seems realistic after the talks yesterday that the salaries of employees from the public sector would go up as of November.
“Everybody wants more. But we need to be reasonable,” Babis said.
The government and the unions will further negotiate about the increase in September.
The planned pay rise will concern clerks, teachers, police officers and firefighters.
Marksova (CSSD) said the salaries of doctors and nurses still need to be discussed. In the health care sector, salaries can be raised only in January, she said.
Health Minister Svatopluk Nemecek (CSSD) would be dealing with the issue, Marksova said.
The trade unions criticised the government coalition for not talking to them about the pay rise for civil servants. The government made the decision in April when it talked about the budget deficit and the convergence programme for the adoption of the euro.
The union leaders also argued that the salaries of lawmakers, ministers and other officials would be raised by more than 3 percent next year.
The average monthly wage of civil servants was 25,880 crowns in 2014.
The representatives of the employers were against the pay raise for all civil servants. Confederation of Industry head Jaroslav Hanak said people should get more money only for quality work.
The right-wing opposition said the government should not increase spending at a time of economic growth, but make reserves.
The wages of civic servants were increased in November 2014 and those of medical workers in January 2015.
($1=24.940 crowns)
