Czechs protest govt. austerity measures

A file photo showing Czech workers protesting the government planned austerity cuts, September 2010

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/181055.html

Tens of thousands of Czech workers including union leaders have taken to the streets of the capital city, Prague, to protest the government's planned austerity measures.

During the protests, the union leaders said their members would bear the brunt of the government's plans to cut pensions, healthcare and social benefits, and called for a new election, Reuters reported.

The austerity measures include increasing the retirement age, diverting part of pensions to private funds, and raising payments for healthcare, and etc.

"We are refusing your pension theft," a union leader said, addressing the government at Prague's central Wenceslas Square.

The unions have also threatened to call for a general strike if the government implements the planned reforms that are scheduled to be submitted to parliament in June.

The government says the reforms are necessary to compensate for the country's debt and to balance the budget by 2016.

The development came as similar demonstrations have been held in other European countries in protest at the austerity measures adopted by governments.

On Saturday, mass protests were held in Spain against unemployment and tight austerity measures for a seventh consecutive day.

Tens of thousands of Spaniards converged in squares in several cities across the country to express their fury at what they described as the Socialist government's ineptitude to tackle the growing financial crisis in the Eurozone's fourth-largest economy.

Earlier, protests were also held In Italy against the increasing number of government cuts on social services for the disabled, aimed at reducing. The Italian government says the cuts are needed to rid the country of its recession.

Czech doctors quit en masse over wage

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/159754.html


Before the New Year, over 3800 doctors in the Czech Republic handed in their resignations in protest over working conditions and low wages, leaving the government until the end of February to prepare for their departure, or negotiate new contracts. The doctors are demanding a pay raise of one and a half to three-times the average pay of the country, making the wage scale comparable with those found in neighboring EU states.

Union leaders point to the vast profits made by technology suppliers, pharmaceutical companies and insurance providers, money that could be used to raise wages and improve health care. However, Czech Health Minister Leo? Heger has maintained that, due to a 10% cut in government spending currently being enacted, there is no room for a pay increase until reforms to the system have taken place.

Since the last negotiations, held before Christmas, the situation has only worsened. Doctors are now threatening to leave sooner than anticipated and the Health Minister is openly planning emergency measures, such as obliging doctors to fulfill their professional duties for an extra 30 days, merging hospitals and moving patients to other regions.

While there continues to be speculation about how many doctor's will leave, approximately 59 of the countries hospitals, out of 191, have reported a high volume of resignations, with some regions preparing to loose up to 70% of their staff.

To date, neither the government, not the unions have offered room for compromise. Instead, both sides are engaged in a battle. But without a
resolution, some analysts say the country could be facing the worst health
crisis in its history, and it is patients who will suffer the most.