Czech railway workers and management reach compromise

Trade union representatives and Czech Railway management signed a collective agreement on Monday, promising some 83,000 railway workers a seven percent pay rise in 2002. The Chairman of the Railway Workers' Union, Jaromir Dusek, said the average railway employee's salary stood at around 15,000 Czech crowns, or around 400 U.S. dollars, which is slightly above the national average. The past few months have seen much debate on the system of granting bonuses, with railway workers threatening strike action if a compromise was not found. Besides the wage increase, the agreement also promised bonuses for overtime, as well as weekend and night shifts.