Government and union leaders to resume talks on public sector pay increases

Representatives of the Czech government and labor unions will continue negotiations on Tuesday over wage increases for public sector workers. Unions are demanding a 10% pay rise from next month, with further increases in January, threatening protests if their demands are not met. Prime Minister Petr Fiala reiterated that funds for this year's increase are not available in the budget, and ministries are searching for potential reallocations. The Ministry of Labor initially proposed a 7% increase or a 10% increase for half of the public sector. Unions argue that real wages have declined due to high inflation and are pushing for across-the-board raises.