Trade unions say further salary cuts may accelerate protests

Trade union protest actions may come sooner if the government cuts the salaries of state employees in 2023, the head of the Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions Josef Středula said on Czech Television. The umbrella union organization has already declared a strike alert over the government’s austerity package for next year but was still hoping to persuade the cabinet to modify some of the measures announced. The unions have protested against planned cuts to public servants' salaries. Due to the deepening deficit this year Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura wants to cut the total amount of money for civil service salaries by four percent instead of the projected two and introduce the cuts earlier.