Police protest wage cuts

Czech police demonstrated on Wednesday to protest wage cuts affecting civil servants under the government’s austerity measures aimed at helping lower the deficit. Several thousand gathered not far from the office of the government, waving placards and blowing sirens in protest before heading to an area near the country’s Chamber of Deputies.

Photo: CTK

Around 3,000 police, fire fighters and prison staff showed their discontent in the centre of Prague on Wednesday protesting over a 4-percent wage cut which they – and other civil servants – fear will hit them hard in 2010 – part of cost-cutting measures approved by the government. The protest got under way even as next year’s state budget was being debated in the lower house by MPs. Some representatives say that the cuts will have a negative impact on the public sector, including Milan Štěpánek, the head of the country’s police unions. He spoke to public broadcaster Czech TV:

“Of course, through this demonstration we want to let our politicians know where we stand and to show how the cut could affect not just the police but all state employees. We want MPs to become aware that there is a large body of people who will be affected and that it could have a detrimental impact on the public sector as a whole.”

Photo: CTK

Given the poor state of public finances, proponents of the 4-percent pay cut say it is a necessity, no matter how unfortunate. MP Jan Vidím is a member of the right-of-centre Civic Democrats:

“This is the reality of the economic crisis and I’m honestly very sorry, but that’s just how things are. On the other hand, I have to say I find it a little unfortunate that the police and fire fighters should protest in this manner, because under the law their colleagues in the army can’t. I think for that’s a bit unfair to their colleagues.”

The police have been backed by the political Left, namely the Social Democrats, including party leader Jiří Paroubek and former interior minister František Bublan. Still, union leader Milan Štěpánek insists the protest was not – at heart - political.

“Just because one of the parties has recommended changes, doesn’t mean it is political. If a right-wing party put forward a proposal which similarly suited us, we would support it too.”

Photo: CTK

For now, the police remain arguably the most vocal among state employees in their discontent, pointing out that in terms of real wages their pay has now been hit over successive years. It remains in question whether the protest can yield any real results.