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The head of the Czech Doctors’ Union has threatened strike action if doctors’ pay is not raised. Martin Engel told journalists on Monday that if the government did not move towards raising hospital workers’ wages, then the union would discuss staging a national strike, to be held during the Czech Republic’s EU presidency. Mr Engel said that Czech hospitals were currently suffering a ‘personnel crisis’ and that staff shortages were putting patients at risk. The union head said that he thought pay-raises were the only feasible solution to the shortage. The health minister, Tomáš Julínek, said recently that he is considering pay-rises for hospital workers, but on the basis of merit alone. Mr Engel wants to see blanket increases in healthcare professionals’ pay.

The Chebsko region of the Czech Republic has been hit by a mild earthquake registering around 3.8 on the Richter scale. The tremors were the third time in a week that the area has been hit – the first being last Monday when an earthquake measuring 2 on the Richter scale struck the area – the latest quake occurred at 9:40 am on Sunday. The earthquake centred in the village of Nový Kostel and the shocks were felt more than ten kilometres away. The earthquake is the strongest to hit the country in more than twenty years. There were no reports of any injuries or notable damage. Despite this, reports suggest that local inhabitants are in states of high anxiety, fearful of what might happen next. Seismologists have sought to reassure the public, cautioning that a still relatively small earthquake of more than 5 points on the Richter scale is virtually impossible in the area.

The Czech Republic suffered a 2:1 away defeat to Poland in a qualifying match for the 2010 World Cup to be held in South Africa. The result is a blow to the team’s qualifying hopes following on from a poor showing at the Euro 2008 competition and the departure of head coach Karel Brückner. Poland scored the first goal in the 27th minute, and followed with a second goal in the 57th minute. The Czech Republic managed to slightly recover after a late substitution, with player Mark Fenin scoring a goal in the 87th minute. The Czech team’s performance was almost universally derided as inadequate by commentators. The team will now face Slovenia on Wednesday. Czech goalkeeper Petr Čech has been ruled out of that match with a groin injury.

Hotelier Bohumír Ďuričko, who is accused of killing the son of former Jiří Paroubek advisor Václav Kočka jr. has been remanded in custody by police as he faces trial for murder. Mr Kočka was shot on Thursday at a location in which the Social Democrat leader Jiří Paroubek had just attended an event to launch a new book. According to the authorities, the decision not to grant Mr Ďuričko bail was taken on the grounds of a genuine fear that the accused man may seek to escape the country and also seek to influence witnesses in the trial. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison.