Trade union leader faces isolation over homophobic remarks

Trade union leader Jaromír Dušek has evoked outrage on the Czech political scene after telling a daily the transport sector was run by a clique of homosexuals. The transport union leader said in an interview for Saturday’s Lidové Noviny that homosexuals had a tight grip on decision-making and had people both in the cabinet and the office of the government. He has refused to apologize for the remarks despite coming under severe criticism from Prime Minister Jan Fischer. Transport Minister Gustav Slámečka accused Mr. Dušek of Nazi rhetoric, while the minister for human rights and minorities, Michael Kocáb, said he was shaken by Mr. Dušek’s stand.

The trade union leader is likely to find himself in growing isolation, both the prime minister and transport minister say they no longer consider him a partner for negotiation and trade unions are preparing a statement to distance themselves from his words.