Nationwide strike in the Czech Republic

Today, Tuesday 24 June, the Czech Republic faced its largest strike action since the "fall of communism". More than half a million people stopped working for one hour. The strike was directed against the reform policies of the conservative government in the public health sector, where people now have to pay the equivalent of one euro every time they go to the doctor's. The conservative daily Lidove Noviny doubts the logic behind the strike: "Even the trade union members at [carmaker and Volkswagen subsidiary] Skoda are striking. Their motivation is that they want the same conditions as their colleagues in the German city of Wolfsburg. Do they really think they would get away with paying just a euro at the doctor's if they earned as much as the Germans?" The situation is different in Germany, the paper notes: "An ultrasound scan costs a patient 40 euros there, and a dental check-up costs 70 euros. On top of that they have to pay a basic rate of ten euros for going to the doctor's. That all adds up to a hefty 130 euros."

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