News

Teaching trade unions have asked for a meeting with Prime Minister Andrej Babiš about their planned January salary increase and remain on strike alert, the Czech News Agency reported on Monday.

The unions originally wanted a 15 percent increase to their salaries as opposed to the government’s planned 10 percent pay rise, but have since agreed to the percentage proposed by the latter. The issue now revolves around how the extra pay should be handed out.

The unions have so far not commented on a new proposal by Education Minister Robert Plaga from the ANO party, which would see a flat pay increase of CZK 2,700 with a further CZK 900 available in bonuses.

The government previously promised to increase teachers’ salaries by 150 percent of their 2017 wages by the end of the current election term.

More than a quarter of Czechs developed their computer skills last year, with self-study being the most popular method, according to an analysis by the Czech Statistics Office released on Monday. The country ranks sixth in the EU28, eight points ahead of the average score, which lies at 20 percent. Finland dominates the ranking with 64 percent of its population between the ages of 16 to 74 improving their computer skills.

In the Czech Republic the percentage of those cultivating their information and communication technology skills depends on the age group. Among16 to 24-year-olds it is every second individual.

The ANO party rose slightly in the polls in September and would receive 31 percent of the vote according to a September MEDIAN agency poll released on Monday. At 13.5 percent the Pirates retain their position as the second strongest party the Median survey shows, despite receiving 0.5 percent less than in August. They are closely trailed by the Civic Democrats at 12.5 percent, whose preferences have gone down by 1 percent compared to August.

The anti-migrant Freedom and Direct Democracy party would receive 7.5 percent of the vote followed by the Social Democrats who are polling at 7 percent. The bottom three parties that are polling above the minimum level needed to enter the chamber of deputies are the Communist Party at 6.5 percent, TOP 09 and the Mayors and Independents who would both receive 5.5 percent according to the poll, meaning that all of the parties currently in the lower house would retain their representation.

Over 20,000 homes, predominantly in Central Bohemia, have been left without power due to strong winds that battered the Czech Republic in the night hours.

Emergency crews have been working around the clock to clear roads and railway lines from fallen trees. A number of rail links have had to be scrapped and Czech Railways has arranged for a bus replacement service.

A high wind warning remains in place throughout the day. No injuries have so far been reported.