PRAGUE (AP) — Labor unions staged a day of protests and strikes across the Czech Republic on Monday to voice their opposition to the government’s package of cuts and austerity measures meant to keep the ballooning deficit under control.
The unions are also demanding more money for the education and healthcare sectors and are protesting proposed changes to the pension system.
Some 74% or over 7,200 nursery, elementary and high schools across the country were either fully or partially closed Monday in the biggest such protest since the establishment of the Czech Republic in 1993, unions said.
Among other measures, Czechs will pay more taxes on alcoholic beverages, including beer, and on medicine.
According to the government, the measures should reduce the budget deficit by 97 billion Czech crowns ($4.3 billion) next year and by 150 billion ($6.7 billion) in 2025.
Persons:
Petr Fiala, ” Fiala, Petr Pavel, Andrej Babis, Babis
Organizations:
— Labor, Auto, Fiala’s, ANO
Locations:
PRAGUE, Czech Republic