Health union joins first in series of anti-austerity protests

(May 2016) The three confederations are mobilising for a series of actions over the next few months culminating in a general strike on 7 October, the second anniversary of the centre-right government. The unions are angry about continuing cuts to public services but also to the threat to the 38-hour week. They are calling for more investment in public services and a range of other measures to boost the economy. The first major event will be a joint national demonstration on 24 May in Brussels. Read more at FGTB (FR), ABVV (NL), CSC (FR), ACV (NL), CGSLB (FR), ACLVB (NL)

The CMKOS trade union confederation coordinated a day of protests and warning strikes on 27 November in a campaign against government policies. The unions are concerned that the government wants to impose a new round of austerity, including pay freezes for public service workers. The key CMKOS demands also cover pensions and retirement age, protection for real wages and the funding and provision of quality public services. Health and care union OSZSP mobilised around the country and the OSSOO state workers’ union was one of five CMKOS affiliates that organised hour-long warning strikes.

Trade unions are maintaining their protest actions against the government, its austerity measures and failure to engage in any social dialogue. Following the initial march in Strakonice, further mobilisations took place in Zlín and Ostrava on 27 June and a rally of public service trade unions took place in Prague on 29 June, with EPSU affiliates involved. The trade unions issued a public statement calling on the government to withdraw its proposals for budget and public sector pay cuts and not to make the same mistakes as the government of 2010 that imposed austerity across the public services