Trade unions go on strike alert

The Confederation of Czech and Moravian trade unions has declared a strike alert in protest against the fiscal reforms introduced by the centre-right government. The vast majority of leaders in this umbrella trade union organization supported the move at an extraordinary meeting on Monday. Union leaders say the impact of the reforms on the socially weaker groups of the population has been devastating. Among the most criticized measures is the introduction of direct payments for medical services. The two smaller parties of the ruling coalition – the Christian Democrats and the Greens – have already expressed an inclination to temper the measures by exempting children and pensioners from the medical fees.