Teachers threaten strike action over pay

In spring 2008, the Czech-Moravian Trade Union of Workers in Education were planning to organise the biggest strike in the Czech Republic’s recent history. They have threatened to take strike action if teachers do not get the salary increase they are demanding – this would in the closure of schools for an entire week just before the start of the summer holidays. After considering a proposal for funding put forward by the government, the trade union will then decide on what course of action to take.

Trade union issues strike warning

The Czech Minister of Education, Ondřej Liška of the Green Party (Strana zelených, SZ) has been given a deadline by the Czech-Moravian Trade Union of Workers in Education (Českomoravský odborový svaz pracovníků školství, ČMOS PŠ) until the end of April 2008 to persuade the government to increase the education budget, allowing in particular for a rise in teachers’ salaries. ČMOS PŠ is demanding an increase of up to CZK 3 billion (about €119 million as at 22 May 2008) for the regional education budgets. If the extra funds are not forthcoming, the trade union is planning a series of protests, culminating in strike action resulting in the closure of schools for an entire week before the start of the summer holidays. According to the President of ČMOS PŠ, František Dobšík, ‘the protest scenario has already been approved’, as can be expected following the teachers’ strike action in December 2007 (CZ0712039I).

Staffing and pay in education

Statistics show that the population of teachers in the Czech Republic is getting older and not enough young people are entering the profession. In 2007, almost 273,000 employees without a civil servant status were working in education, earning an average monthly salary of CZK 21,112 (€840). Employees in educational facilities at regional level earned a monthly average of CZK 19,842 (€789), while the average monthly salary in the Czech economy was CZK 21,692 (€863). The initial salary for teachers amounts to about CZK 15,000 (€596), with teachers attaining the average salary only after almost 20 years in the profession.

According to ČMOS PŠ, the high rate of inflation in the Czech Republic has caused teachers’ real earnings to fall sharply in the first half of 2008. Year-on-year inflation rose to 7.5% in January 2008, slowing to 7.1% in March. The Czech National Bank (Česká národní banka, ČNB) estimates inflation to be 4.1% in 2008, while the Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic (Ministerstvo financí České republiky, MF ČR) forecasts an inflation rate of 4.9%. For 2009, ČMOS PŠ is demanding that salaries move in line with the inflation rate and remain at least 4% above it. ‘This time we certainly won’t be satisfied with the claim that the schools’ budget will increase thanks to money from European funds,’ warns the Vice-President of ČMOS PŠ, Markéta Vondráčková.

At the beginning of May this year, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (Ministerstvo školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy České republiky, MŠMT ČR) pledged a further CZK 500 million (€19.8 million) for the education sector, to be provided in 2008. This increase in funding should ensure a 7% pay rise in the education sector, according to the Minister of Finance, Miroslav Kalousek of the Christian and Democratic Union–Czechoslovak People’s Party (Křesťanská a demokratická unie – Československá strana lidová, KDU-ČSL). In 2009, the Czech education sector is set to get an additional increase in government funding of CZK 4 billion (€159 million). According to Minister Kalousek, teachers’ pay should climb a further 12% with this increase in funding, which will represent the biggest increase in public sector pay. After a meeting with the finance minister, Minister Liška stated: ‘Teachers are our priority. I think there is no reason for the planned trade union strike.’ The Czech Prime Minister, Mirek Topolánek, has also tried to convince teachers to refrain from taking strike action, stating: ‘It would be an irrational move, because it’s not true that teachers’ salaries will fall.’

Trade union dissatisfied with government proposal

According to ČMOS PŠ Vice-President, Ms Vondráčková, the government’s proposed increase in teachers’ salaries will only be enough to cover motivational pay. However, ČMOS PŠ wants the pay increase to be factored into tariff-based salaries. In this regard, Minister Liška stated: ‘I would be glad if it was the non-tariff pay component that increased from today’s 10% to 30% and school principals could reward capable and good teachers.’

Next moves for trade union

ČMOS PŠ wants to meet with Minister Liška to clarify the real amount of the salary increase and whether the increase is to apply only to teachers or to all education workers. In the trade union’s view, a pay increase offered only to teachers would be unacceptable discrimination against other workers in the education sector. At regional level, the trade union will determine whether teachers are satisfied with the wage increase offered by the government and will decide accordingly what further steps to take. In this regard, the President of ČMOS PŠ, Mr Dobšík, emphasised:

For the next two weeks, we are going to negotiate with trade unions in the regions and then we’ll decide what form of protest to opt for. If we decide to strike, that could be before the summer holidays and it could resume after the holiday period.

The trade union wanted to announce its decision on strike action by mid May 2008.

Jaroslav Hála, Research Institute for Labour and Social Affairs