According to trade unions, the possibility of dismissal without giving reasons is a measure that does not help anyone, but on the contrary can harm many. “It is unacceptable to worsen the situation of male and female employees even more. It is inadmissible for the Labor Code to open the door to discrimination“, stated CMKOS.
The possibility of dismissal without giving a reason within a reasonable period with severance pay according to years of service was proposed by the Government’s National Economic Council. Minister of Labor Marian Jurečka (KDU-ČSL) repeated several times that there will be no provisions in the upcoming amendment to the Labor Code. He said he didn’t see it as an issue now.
The unions also consider it unacceptable that the retirement age is constantly increasing. Life expectancy in good health is just over 61 years, according to the trade unions. In addition, according to ČMKOS, employees in the Czech Republic work much more time during their productive age than in developed European countries.
The pension amendment envisages increasing the retirement age above 65 according to life extension, reducing the calculation of new pensions, a minimum pension of 20 percent of the average wage or an earlier pension for work in a risky environment. At the end of April, the proposal was approved by the government and the standard will be sent to the House of Representatives for discussion. According to the plan, the changes should come into effect gradually from next year. Jurečka previously stated that pensions for current old-age pensioners will continue to grow and will remain educational for them.
ČMKOS wants to further protest, for example, against the cancellation of guaranteed wages. According to the amendment to the code, the guaranteed wage, which represents the lowest earnings according to the expertise, demandingness and responsibility of the work and which is paid in eight stages from the minimum wage to its double, should be abolished in companies from January. She should remain in the public sector, but in four steps from the minimum wage to 1.6 times it. “Guaranteed wages take into account the difficulty of the work, and their abolition is not fair. We reject the policy of cheap labor,” the union added.
The unions also want to define themselves against, for example, extending the probationary period or shortening the notice period. According to them, this would mean that the laid-off employees would have much less time to find a new job. Against these and other steps, the trade unions have previously agreed on a common course of action with representatives of the Social Democracy Party (SOCDEM).
With 31 unions and 270,000 members, ČMKOS is the strongest trade union headquarters in the country. Its leadership partially changed on March 25 at the extraordinary trade union assembly. The representatives of the unions re-elected Josef Středula as Staron’s chairman.
Tags: giant protest planned center Prague Trade unionists dismissals reason pension
