The CMKOS and its affiliated unions join the World Day for Decent Work aware of the fact that a change of the present adverse global development can be achieved only through effective steps based upon solidarity, observance of human rights - and thus also social and trade union rights - as guaranteed by the UN and ILO covenants and conventions. In European context there are also documents of the Council of Europe and the EU, including the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Therefore the CMKOS and its affiliated trade unions appeal to the respective bodies of the Czech Republic to reject the exemption from this Charter requested for our country by its President Mr. Václav Klaus and by the Czech Government.

The CMKOS submits to the general public an analytical programme document describing in some detail what the unions are aiming at. This is meant as an appeal to open a discussion on the course of the Czech economy during the present new round of economic crisis.

 On 22nd May 2012 the protest march organised by the CMKOS, its affiliated unions and a number of civic organisations associated in the initiative "STOP THE GOVERNMENT" was held in Prague. Around four thousand people marched through the Prague centre to the seat of the Government. During the march and also at a meeting in front of the Government's seat the speakers and participants expressed their demands to the Government - to stop the anti-social reforms or to resign.
The march was a part of the campaign which will continue by more protest events - on 29th May by a happening in front of the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Culture, on 4th June by a protest at the Ministry of Health Care, on 6th June at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and on 7th June at the Ministry of Finance.
Besides that the farmers were slowing down traffic with their machinery in 12 regions of the Czech Republic on 23rd May and on 30th May a demonstration of senior citizens will be held in Prague.

The Platform "Stop the Government" associating 75 civil initiatives, associations and trade unions, continues its campaign and organises new protest actions.

This week (14th - 18th May 2012) the Platform opens an information and petition tent in Prague, at Anděl, one of the busiest pedestrian crossroads in the capital. For the whole week people will have the possibility to discuss with the Platform leaders, including trade union representatives and experts, the most topical issues - healthcare, education pension, taxation and other reforms - and receive information and other documents.

On 22nd May the Platform organises protest march to the Government headquarters to express the disagreement with the reforms as planned.

In the next days the action "Occupy ministries" will follow - a protest against ministries preparing anti-social and low quality reforms in the most sensitive areas. 

The Platform also supports the demonstration "For the senior citizens survival" organised by the Senior Citizens Council and by the National Council of Handicapped in Prague on 30th May. Their main demands are to valorise pensions according to the current law (and not less as the Government plans), to postpone the so called "second pillar" of the pension reform and to elaborate and adopt the law on social housing for senior citizens.
 

On 21^st April 2012 around 120 000 trade unionists and representatives of civil society organisations assembled on Prague's Venceslas Square to protest against the current anti-social reforms and to call upon the Government to resign. The demonstration was organized by the CMKOS, its affiliates and number of NGOs representing various groups of society, among other students, pensioners, handicapped and many others. It was the biggest demonstration since November 1989.
The participants adopted the appeal to the Government to resign and to call general elections.

The Czech Government responded to the economic crisis by massive cuts at the expenditure side of the State budget, in particular by cuts in social systems, not increasing the minimum wage (the last increase was made in 2007), reduction of both salaries and numbers of employees in public services and public administration. Entirely absent are measures aimed at supporting economic growth and/or maintaining the purchasing power of the population. The Czech trade unions feel that such policies are harmful and that the measures adopted cannot lead to any success in dealing with the crisis: rather the crisis will become deeper still. Therefore, we prepared our own set of proposals the aim of which is to prevent a further increase of sovereign debt and to embark on a path of economic growth.

In the area of employ…