Problems facing Czech trade unions

Ken Biggs in Prague

Since the over throw of socialism in 1989, the Czech trade unions 
have undergone immense changes.

One of the principal aims of the Havel-led counter-revolution was 
to destroy the Revolutionary Trade Union Movement (ROH), set up 
in the closing days of World War II as Prague was about to erupt 
into open revolt against the Nazi occupiers.

The ROH was founded on May Day 1945 at an underground conference 
held in the Czechoslovak capital.

At the time of its dissolution in March 1990, it consisted of 17 
industrial unions, a formidable force which had wielded 
considerable power during the 40 years of socialism.

Foreign industrial relations consultants like Price Waterhouse 
brought in during the "economic reform" of the 1990s admitted as 
much and master-minded the attack on trade union influence.

Fifteen years later the Czech trade unions are much weaker in 
terms of both membership and influence — mainly because of the 
employers' success in destroying the principle of "one industry -
- one union".

This has been compounded by a variety of other negative 
influences. Since 1989, there has been the emergence of mass 
unemployment which currently officially stands at a record figure 
of well over 10 percent of the workforce. In reality it is an 
even higher rate as workers, especially women and older workers, 
have withdrawn from the labour market.

Workers also fear victimisation, which in some well-publicised 
cases has obliged trade unionists employed by foreign companies 
to organise secretly.

The 1990 ban on political activities at the workplace; the 
massive privatisation of the state sector, a shrinking labour 
force; and the break-up of Czechoslovakia's traditional heavy 
industries and coal mines have also contributed to the weakening 
of the trade union movement.

Added to this is the failure of the Czech Confederation of Trade 
Unions' (CzCTU) to give real leadership to its affiliated unions 
in the fightback against retrenchments.

There are now four trade union centres. Two — the CzCTU and the 
Confederation of Cultural Workers — are officially recognised by 
the government for the purposes of maintaining the fiction of 
post-1989 tripartite "social partnership".

Discontent with the CzCTU's role in facilitating "transformation" 
of the pre-1989 state sector-led socialist economy in the 1990s 
led to the farmworkers' and rail unions breaking away from the 
main centre and forming a third centre, the Association of 
Independent Unions (ASO).

The forth centre — the Trade Union Association of Bohemia, 
Moravia and Silesia (OSCMS), formed in the early 1990s — is 
communist-led, but open to all workers regardless of their views.

Communist workers still active in trade unions often prefer to 
work in the CzTUC, where they are at least in direct touch with 
people of working age.

Trade union rights are under constant attack, especially in the 
private sector.

The right to strike exists only theoretically and is restricted 
to situations where negotiations on annual pay and conditions 
break down.

On the few occasions since 1989 when trade unions have called 
major strikes, employers have usually declared the strike 
"illegal" and tried to take the unions to court.

The Czech Labour Code mirrors EU industrial relations 
legislation, but at office and shop floor level, in the absence 
of strong workplace unions, many private employers ignore or 
flout it.

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(Abridged)