Three-day strike by judicial workers paralyzes district courts in Czechia
A three-day strike will affect most Czech courts starting Monday, with up to two-thirds of regional court employees expected to participate. However, the Constitutional Court will not take part, and judges, who are legally prohibited from striking, are not directly affected.
The unions called the strike after a meeting with the ministers of justice and finance, despite the government's offer to raise salaries for all judicial positions to an average of over 41,000 crowns.
According to Deputy Supreme Court President Petr Šuk, the amount of 41,000 crowns is less than what was previously agreed upon with government representatives. Negotiations should continue, he said, because most positions in the judiciary are undervalued.
“At the highest court, 75 percent of employees have a post-secondary education. But the median income does not exceed that of the public sector.”
The unions originally demanded an increase of at least 15 percent. They also did not like the fact that it is supposed to be an average salary, which varies from position to position.
Other judicial employees, such as law graduate Petra, an assistant to a judge, have also complained about low pay.
“I chose to support the strike not just because of myself but also because of solidarity with other workers. It is not easy. If someone lives in a couple, it’s definitely easier because they have two people to pay for expenses. But if someone lives alone, which is my situation, then it is a more complex situation. It’s harder to save money but it’s also harder to live in a way that others imagine I am living.”
Spokesperson Markéta Bartežlová agrees that salaries are nowhere near a living wage.
“A starting salary for a stenographer, without experience, starts with a salary of 18,680 crowns net income which is below the minimum wage and it has to be adjusted to the minimum wage. Just imagine that at an age when a young person is starting a family, it’s absurd to be asked to to live off of this salary. We’re talking about 16,300 crowns after tax.”
Justice Minister Pavel Blažek (ODS) also agrees with the need for change after a meeting with the unions on Thursday. Mr. Blažek has yet to discuss what that would look like with the unions. This is also why the trade unionists will not cancel the strike alert after the three-day strike. Instead, they are taking it as insurance for further negotiations, because they want to achieve changes in tariffs in this election period.
Courts are expected to operate on a limited basis during the three-day strike. The strike will mostly affect circuit and district courts, which unions say will be completely paralyzed. At the District Court for Prague 2, for example, 95 percent of staff will be on strike, and all scheduled criminal hearings there will be canceled.
If a particular hearing is adjourned, the court should let the parties know in advance. People can also check on the infojednání.cz website. However, they need to know the docket number of their case.
