Prague – Trade unionists from all over the country will arrive in Prague today for a rally against poverty. They want to publish on it their demands and proposals to mitigate the effects of rising prices and the energy crisis on employees and their families. According to the leader of the Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions (ČMKOS), Josef Středula, 1,500 to 2,000 people could participate in the event at the Karlín Forum in Prague. ČMKOS is the largest trade union headquarters in the country. It covers 31 unions with about 270,000 members. The gathering has been held every September since 2015. In the past two years, it was not held due to the epidemic.

Trade unionists describe their event as a “demonstration meeting”. In previous years, it was used to prepare for salary increase negotiations. They had the slogan “End of cheap labor.” The headquarters said that this year the unions want to express their views on the current economic situation and send a message to politicians not to overlook the effects on employees and entrepreneurs. Unions point to high inflation and a drop in real incomes. They criticize the government and its actions.

The public sector unions demanded a salary increase this year due to rising prices. In the end, they made an agreement with the cabinet that only those earnings that did not rise in January will be adjusted from September. The frozen salary scales of non-pedagogical workers, culture employees and officials have now increased by ten percent. Starting in January, the salary base should then be adjusted by ten percent for police officers and firefighters. It is about adding other professions. Leaders have not yet specified what wage growth they will request for company employees.

According to the Ministry of Finance, average inflation should reach 16.2 percent this year. Next year it could be 8.8 percent. The unemployment rate should remain low. The sum for salaries and wages should rise by 7.9 percent next year compared to this year.