About 1Mln Czech Workers to Join Strike Monday Against Gov't Budget Savings - Reports

PRAGUE (Sputnik) - About one million employees of enterprises and firms and about half of the staff of primary and secondary schools of the Czech Republic will join a strike action on November 27 against government measures to save the state budget, the Czech News Agency reported Wednesday.

Hundreds of industrial enterprises will stop production for at least one hour on Monday, the report said, adding that employees of a number of institutions and enterprises, due to the specific nature of their work, will not be able to leave their workspace but will express their support for the strike one way or another.

In particular, employees at all plants of Czech carmaker Skoda Auto will stop production for two hours, and their employees plan to support them, the agency reported. At the same time, the company will fall short of 120 cars on Monday as one car leaves the company's assembly lines every minute.

Some protesters will hold rallies directly at the workplace, while others will take to the streets, the report said. Protesters also plan to gather in Prague, march through the capital's central streets and hold a rally at Malostranske Square, practically in front of the country's parliament.

Some enterprises plan not to stop assembly lines but send a large delegation to the Prague rally, as workers at the plant of the Hyundai CZ carmaker, located in the village of Nosovice in the east of the country, are planning to do, the agency reported.

On Wednesday, Czech President Petr Pavel signed a package of measures to improve state finances, which the Czech cabinet approved in May.

The package includes a reduction in state subsidies, the resumption of health insurance, the abolition of a number of tax exemptions, an increase in VAT on certain types of goods and services, changes in the terms of payment of pensions and an increase in the taxation of legal entities.

The reforms sparked heated debates in media and at street rallies, with the country's opposition leaders saying the reforms would lead to higher inflation and negatively affect economic growth, as well as reduce living standards in the country.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala called the strike "unjustified," adding that he did not understand why education personnel plans to join the strike since the government increases spending on education every year and guarantees teachers a wage of 130% of the average salary.