The CMKOS union congress has started in Prague, they will elect the leadership and discuss the strategy
Updates: 04/29/2022 11:05
Released: 29.04.2022, 11:04
Prague – The congress of the largest trade union headquarters in the Czech Republic, the Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions (CMKOS), has begun in Prague. Two hundred trade unions from 31 unions will elect a new leadership for the next four years. They will also discuss their strategy for the next period. President Miloš Zeman will arrive at the professional event on Saturday, he will speak at 10:00, said CMKOS leader Josef Středula.
“239 new trade unions were formed from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2021. 54,578 new members joined the unions in four years, compared to 10,550 in the last year. This is a multiple of the number of members of many political parties in the Czech Parliament. “Centula said. According to him, the successes of trade unions in recent years include, for example, the abolition of waiting periods, the enforcement of kurarbeit, the inclusion of lumbar spine injuries among occupational diseases or higher earnings in companies with collective bargaining.
Right at the beginning, Středula condemned the war in Ukraine and called for it not to be overlooked, thanking the refugees for their help. In his speech, he mentioned the victims of accidents at work and the importance of ensuring safety at work. According to preliminary figures, 88 people died at work last year, the head of the headquarters specified.
As in the last congress, Středula is the only candidate for the CMKOS chairman. Vice-presidents Vít Samek and Radka Sokolová also have no candidates, who are also running for office again.
The head of the Senate, Miloš Vystrčil, came to the congress. The government is currently represented by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labor Marian Jurečka (KDU-ČSL) and Minister of Justice Pavel Blažek (ODS). Finance ministers Zbyněk Stanjura and transport Martin Kupka (both ODS) should also arrive. The head of the opposition ANO, Andrej Babiš, and the chairman of the non-parliamentary CSSD, Michal Smarda, were also in the hall.
The trade union congress was opened by the performance of two violinists in dark evening robes. They played part of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in a modern arrangement.