In Business News: Russia wants to buy both Czech Airlines and Prague Airport; the Czech Republic has one of the lowest shares of women in part-time jobs in the EU; Czech textile makers sign a copyright agreement with their Chinese counterparts; a new free newspaper will target business people; and a British TV ad for the Skoda Fabia wins industry awards.
Moscow expresses interest in buying Czech Airlines, Prague Airport
Ruzyne airport
While the Czech government has not yet even approved a plan to privatise Czech Airlines, the Russian government has expressed interest in buying the Czech state's majority stake in CSA, Hospodarske noviny reported this week. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Naryshkin also said Moscow was interested in purchasing Prague's Ruzyne airport.
Czech Republic near bottom of table in part-time jobs for women
The Czech Republic has one of the lowest shares of women working in part-time jobs of any EU state, according to a recent report by Eurostat. While one third of women are in part-time employment in the EU on average, it is only nine percent in the Czech Republic. The Czech minister of labour, Petr Necas, is considering a cut in mandatory social and health insurance payments for employers, which he says will make it easier for mothers of children under 12 to work part-time.
Czech textile makers sign copyright deal with Chinese counterparts
A Czech textile manufacturers group has signed an agreement with counterparts in China aimed at protecting Czech designs and patterns which have been appearing without authorisation on Chinese clothing. Czech Deputy Industry Minister Martin Tlapa told Hospodarske noviny that any treaty safeguarding the country's brands was a good thing. However, some textiles producers in the Czech Republic have expressed fears that the new agreement is a formality which will mean little in practice.
New free paper targets business community
The magazine publisher Mlada fronta (not to be confused with the newspaper Mlada fronta Dnes) is planning to launch a free business daily at the end of this month or the start of December. Called E15, it will be distributed to offices, financial institutions, hotels, universities and will also be found on first class train carriages. The publishers say the newspaper will have a circulation of around 50,000 copies a day.
British TV ad for Skoda Fabia wins prizes
A British television advertisement for the Czech-made Skoda Fabia car won the main prize and two other awards at the British Television Advertising Craft Awards this week. The ad shows confectioners creating a life-size replica of the Fabia using various kinds of cake.
