Skoda workers go on strike

Workers at the Skoda Auto car plant in Mlada Boleslav have gone on strike in demand of higher pay. Thousands of employees downed tools for two and a half hours during the first shift of the day, with later shifts planning to do likewise. The strike means no cars will be produced at the factory on Tuesday; the company says it expects to lose 55 million crowns (over 2.5 million USD). On Friday Skoda Auto management withdrew an offer of a 13-percent pay rise for employees, and returned to an earlier proposal to increase wages by 7.5 percent.

Figures released on Monday showed that March was the most successful month in the history of the company. Last month Skoda Auto recorded over 60,000 vehicles sold, which represented a year-on-year rise of almost 15 percent. Over half of sales in the first quarter of this year were in western Europe.