Daily news summary

Unions and government debated pay rise in public sector

Deputy Prime Minister Jan Hamáček and Labour Minister Jana Maláčová held talks with the head of the congress of trade unions Josef Středula on Friday on a wage increase in the public sector. A deal concerning a pay rise of public sector employees should be reached by the end of August.

Unions are demanding a ten percent pay rise for all public sector employees. The budget proposal for next year envisages a 15 percent pay rise for teachers and a six percent hike for other public sector workers.

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is against a blanket salary rise, arguing that teachers and people in other underpaid professions should see a more significant salary increase.

Josef Koudelka introduces book Returns on his life work as photographer

World-renowned Czech photographer Josef Koudelka presented his book Návraty, or Returns, at the Museum of Applied Arts in Prague on Thursday in connection with an exhibit of the same name and in celebration of his 80th birthday.

The exhibition, which runs until September 23, is arranged chronologically in seven sections, each comprising an individual thematic series. Among them is Invasion 68, his reportage series on the crushing of the Prague Spring, which forced to leave the country in 1970.

Translator Jiří Josek dies at 68

Jiří Josek, one of the leading Czech translators from English, has died at the age of 68. The news was confirmed by his daughter Zuzana Josková on Friday.

Jiří Josek was known mainly for his translation of William Shakespeare’s plays. In 1999, he received the Josef Jungmann prize for best translation into Czech for his translation of Hamlet. Among others, he translated the legendary novel On the Road by Jack Kerouack.

Hundreds take part in St.Vavřinec Day pilgrimage to Sněžka

Hundreds of people took part in the St.Vavřinec Day pilgrimage to the top of the Czech Republic’s highest mountain Sněžka in the Krkonoše Mountains on Friday. They also attended a mass served at the St.Vavřinec chapel situated on the peak of the mountain.

The annual climb takes place on St. Vavřinec Day, which falls on August 10, since St. Vavřinec is the patron saint of the Krkonoše Mountains. Among those who regularly attend the pilgrimage is former Czech president Václav Klaus.

Young Czechs leave parents later than most of their EU peers

Young Czechs usually move away from their parents aged 26 to 27, which is slightly above the EU average, suggests new data published by the Czech Statistics Office on Friday.

There are currently 1.2 million people in the Czech Republic in the age bracket 15 to 26, which amounts to 12 percent of the country’s total population.

Men are slightly slower to move from their parents than women. While Czech girls leave home around the age of 25, most men move out at the age of 27.

Smog alert for Prague called off

Meteorologists called off a smog alert for Prague and the Central Bohemian region on Thursday evening, and later also in the Ústí nad Labem region.

The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute has announced the alert due to high concentrations of ground-level ozone in the air, cautioning people with respiratory problems, as well and children and the elderly in general, to stay indoors.

Weather

Saturday is expected to be mostly sunny with daytime highs ranging between 24 and 28 degrees Celsius.