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4 March, 2001Slovak trade unions are satisfied with last Friday's blockade of border crossings.
SLOVAK REPUBLIC: The blockade of a number of border crossings between the Slovak Republic and its neighbours on Friday, March 2, was aimed at highlighting the current poor social and economic conditions in Slovakia.
About 300 trade union members from various Slovak companies took part in the blockade of the Czech-Slovak Drietoma-Stary Hrozenkov border crossing. "We managed to attract media attention. Now we will wait to see how the government will react," Pavol Adamek, representative of the KOVO Metalworkers' Federation of the Slovak Republic, said to the Czech News Agency, CTK.
"One company after another is collapsing. They are bankrupt, and the diverting of company funds for personal use is no exception. The government promised a solution but so far nothing has happened. If the blockade remains without any reaction again, we are ready to strengthen our protests. Then they could cause more harm to the Slovak economy. One possibility is a 'real' strike," declared Adamek.
Besides the Czech-Slovak crossing, trade unions were also blocking another four border crossings on borders with Hungary and Poland. About 2,300 people participated.
In this way, the trade unions want to force the government and employers into a dialogue about solving the most urgent problems, such as the real wage decrease and high unemployment. They nevertheless said they were willing to stop such pressure actions if the government submitted a timetable of steps leading to the lowering of unemployment and promised to increase tax deductibles and raise wages by 8-9 per cent.
The government has thus far not reacted.
About 300 trade union members from various Slovak companies took part in the blockade of the Czech-Slovak Drietoma-Stary Hrozenkov border crossing. "We managed to attract media attention. Now we will wait to see how the government will react," Pavol Adamek, representative of the KOVO Metalworkers' Federation of the Slovak Republic, said to the Czech News Agency, CTK.
"One company after another is collapsing. They are bankrupt, and the diverting of company funds for personal use is no exception. The government promised a solution but so far nothing has happened. If the blockade remains without any reaction again, we are ready to strengthen our protests. Then they could cause more harm to the Slovak economy. One possibility is a 'real' strike," declared Adamek.
Besides the Czech-Slovak crossing, trade unions were also blocking another four border crossings on borders with Hungary and Poland. About 2,300 people participated.
In this way, the trade unions want to force the government and employers into a dialogue about solving the most urgent problems, such as the real wage decrease and high unemployment. They nevertheless said they were willing to stop such pressure actions if the government submitted a timetable of steps leading to the lowering of unemployment and promised to increase tax deductibles and raise wages by 8-9 per cent.
The government has thus far not reacted.