Tripartite meeting, March 6, 2023, Prague.
Prague – Due to the non-participation of the ministers of finance Zbyňek Stanjura (ODS) and labor and social affairs Marian Jurečka (KDU-ČSL), the tripartite did not discuss proposals for tax adjustments and demographic developments related to changes in the labor market today. He will return to both topics on Monday, May 15. Jaroslav Hanák, president of the Union of Industry and Transport, told journalists after an almost three-hour meeting of representatives of the government, employers and trade unions. The government has no basis for pension reform, said the chairman of the Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions, Josef Středula. He added that he called on the government representative to invite the unions to an expert discussion.
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In the discussion, according to Středula, it was said that the unions with the government “will not be surprised and will not be informed from outside”. Transport Minister Martin Kupka (ODS) said that as soon as the government has the key proposals ready, it will discuss them with the trade unions.
Středula also repeated that trade unionists from the largest KOVO union called a protest in front of the government office on March 29 against the planned pension reform. They mainly criticize the plan to raise the retirement age to 68. Jurečka has already stated that he will publish his proposal for pension changes in the coming weeks. The trade unions complain that the head of the department and the government do not discuss the prepared form of the reform with them. Jurečka recently stated that he has not yet received constructive proposals from the trade unionists.
Středula appreciated Minister Kupka's information, according to which the government is succeeding in creating an alliance against the proposed EU emission standard Euro 7. He informed the social partners that the alliance against the adoption of the proposal is represented by ten countries so far. Last week in Berlin, he said that the Czech Republic will not support a ban on the sale of new passenger cars with internal combustion engines in the EU if it is not possible to use synthetic fuels in cars. The Swedish Presidency of the EU announced last week that the ambassadors of the member countries decided to postpone the final approval of the proposal, which would make it practically impossible to buy a new gasoline or diesel car from 2035. Italy, France, Poland, Slovakia or Romania are on the side of the Czech Republic, Kupka calculated, adding that he also expects negotiations with Spain and Portugal.
The Czech Republic has been running deficits of 10 billion in recent years. The government updated the program statement last week. In it, he states that in order to return to sustainable finances, in cooperation with the National Budget Council and the National Economic Council, the government will prepare and implement changes on the income and expenditure side. The cabinet deleted the promise to create a tax brake from the text.
