The disgruntled trade unions in Slovakia, which have been battling to have their demands regarding the new Labour Code heard, have decided to block the borders next week in protest.
On Tuesday 11 October the trade unionists will descend on Slovakia’s frontiers with Austria, Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary and they have even rallied support from trade unions in those countries. According to head of the KOVO trade union, Emil Machyna, colleagues from these four countries will be taking part in the protest as well, in a show of solidarity.
Among other things, the trade unions are not happy about a higher retirement age, the new system of taxes and levies and also wage levels. They would like to see the minimum wage of EUR 317 increased by 4.1% next year, for example, while the Ministry of Labour is talking about a 3.2% hike, which is in line with the system of using the mean growth of the previous year (2010).
Machyna feels that employers are the real ones running the country, and not the government, and the trade unions have consistently walked out of tripartite talks with the government and employers, feeling that none of their demands are being heard.
The protestors plan to block the borders for half an hour between 3.30 and 4 pm. Source: TASR