800,000 take strike action in the Czech Republic

In recent weeks, thousands of public service employees, teachers, truck drivers, pensioners, doctors and nurses have protested against the savage programme of reforms introduced by the coalition government led by Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek. Topolaneks governmentconsisting of his own right-wing, conservative Citizens Party (ODS) in a coalition with the Greens and Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL)has passed a series of measures in the sphere of healthcare, pensions, social and finance policy, which has substantially worsened the situation for broad layers of the population.

At the start of the year, the government introduced a fee for visits to the doctor and attendance at a hospitalthereby wiping out the former system based on free medical care. The new fees are mandated even in the case of emergencies and apply to pregnant women and children. At the end of May, the Czech constitutional court ruled by a slim majority that the reform was legal.

At the same time, Topolanek and his health minister, Tomás Julínek, have further plans to privatise Czech health insurance companies. Following the financial boost resulting from the newly introduced medical fees combined with a series of cuts to benefits, the government then plans to privatise health insurance companies and float them on the stock exchange.