Police and firefighting unions want minister to resign

Police and firefighters in the Czech Republic are being asked to sign a petition calling for the Minister of the Interior to resign. Unions feel he has lost credibility by failing to secure enough funds to pay wages and running costs. They add that, if he does not go, they will consider copying the recent ‘Thank you, we’re leaving’ action by the nation’s doctors. Public sector workers’ pay has been cut by 10%, and unions say the effect of this has been made worse by cuts in bonuses.

Background

The Union of Security Forces (UBS), the Independent Trade Union of Police Corps in the Czech Republic (NOS PČR) and the Trade Union of Firefighters (OSH) launched a petition on 15 February 2011, appealing to Prime Minister Petr Nečas (Civic Democratic Party, ODS) to sack the Minister of the Interior Radek John (Public Affairs Party, VV), because he did not secure enough funds for the development of his sector.

Petition to pressure Minister of the Interior

Symbolically, the petition was launched on the day that employees received wage packets affected for the first time by the Prime Minister’s 10%, austerity cuts. However, trade unions argue that due to the cancellation of various bonuses the reduction is significantly higher than 10% (CZ1009019I, CZ1101029I). Zdeněk J. Oberreiter, Chair of OSH, said cuts in bonuses meant firefighters’ wages are 13.5%–18.5% lower than last year.

The Minister of the Interior countered that he was the first minister who had to operate with such a reduced budget, adding: ‘I have arranged that severance pay for the police force will not be subject to taxation, service-related rewards will not be cancelled and no people dismissed.’

However, Milan Štěpánek, Chair of NOS PČR, said he thought the petition would be strongly supported by the police force. He said: ‘Considering the number of people who attended the demonstration in September, I reckon signatures will be in the order of thousands.’

Pavla Kopecká, a spokesperson for the Czech police, did not want to comment on the petition, saying only: ‘It is a matter between the Ministry of the Interior and trade unionists.’.

Police unions consider emulating doctors’ walkout

Trade unions planned to collect signatures for the petition until 15 March 2011. If the petition is unsuccessful, UBS Chair Miloš Plechatý has indicated that police officers may replicate the doctors’ ‘Thank you, we’re leaving’ action (CZ1101019I; CZ1102019I), and OSH Chair Zdeněk J. Oberreiter, did not rule out supporting such action.

However, Milan Štěpánek said it was premature to consider such action. He appealed to all police officers, firefighters and civil service employees of the Ministry of the Interior (MV ČR) not to be afraid and to sign the petition. ‘It is an entirely legitimate action and every free citizen may express his or her opinion,’ he said. Trade unions have emphasised that they will take ‘radical steps’ should any of their members be punished for such a signature.

Soňa Veverková, Research Institute for Labour and Social Affairs (RILSA)