About
ERI DisclaimerCzech Republic - Compensation & Benefit Legislation
CAPITAL
Prague
CLIMATE
Temperate. Cool summers and cold, cloudy, humid winters.
LANGUAGES
Czech
LEGAL SYSTEM
Civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes. The Czech Republic has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction. The legal code has been modified to bring it in line with Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) obligations and to expunge Marxist-Leninist legal theory.
CURRENCY
Czech Republic Koruna (1 USD = 36.3220 CZK as of March 1, 2002)
CZECH REPUBLIC - COST-OF-LIVING
ERI's Relocation Assessor is a recommended source for cost-of-living data.
CZECH REPUBLIC - EMBASSY/CONSULATES
U. S. Embassy at Prague
Trziste 15
11801 Prague 1 Unit 1330
APO AE 09213-1330
Prague, Czech Republic
Telephone: [420] (2) 5753-0663
Fax: [420] (2) 5732-0614
Embassy of the Czech Republic at Washington D.C.
3900 Spring of Freedom Street N.W.
Washington D.C. 20008
Telephone: (202) 274-9100
Fax: (202) 966-8540
CZECH REPUBLIC - HOLIDAYS
Establishment Day (January 1st)
Easter Monday
May Day (May 1st)
Liberation Day (May 8th)
Constantin and Methodius Day (July 5th)
Jan Hus Day (July 6th)
St. Wenceslas Day (September 28th)
Czechoslovakian Statehood Day (October 28th)
Freedom and Democracy Day (November 17th)
Christmas
CZECH REPUBLIC – LEAVE
Annual Leave: Minimum four weeks paid vacation each year.
CZECH REPUBLIC - MINIMUM AGE
The Labor Code stipulates a minimum working age of 15 years, although children who completed courses at special schools (schools for the mentally disabled and socially maladjusted) may work at the age of 14. Employment conditions for children aged 15 to 18 are subject to strict safety standards. These regulations are enforced in practice.
(Section 6.d. Status of Child Labor Practices and Minimum Age for Employment, Czech Republic - Report of Human Rights Practices, 2001, U.S.. Department of State.)
CZECH REPUBLIC - MINIMUM REMUNERATION
The Government sets minimum wage standards. The national minimum wage was approximately $154 (5,700 Czech crowns) per month; compared to approximately $113 (3,600 Czech crowns) per month in the previous year. The national minimum wage provides a decent standard of living for a worker and family.
(Section 6.c. and f. Acceptable Conditions of Work, Czech Republic - Report of Human Rights Practices, 2001, U.S. Department of State.)
CZECH REPUBLIC - REMUNERATION
ERI's Geographic and Relocation Assessors are recommended sources for international remuneration covering 189 countries.
CZECH REPUBLIC - REPORT OF HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES (2001, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE)
Section 6 Worker Rights
a. The Right of Association
The law provides workers with the right to form and join unions of their own choice without prior authorization, and workers exercised this right in practice. Union membership continued to decline during the year. Most workers are members of unions affiliated with the Czech-Moravian Chamber of Trade Unions (CMKOS). The CMKOS is a democratically oriented, republic-wide umbrella organization for branch unions. It is not affiliated with any political party and carefully maintains its independence.
Workers have the legal right to strike, with the exception of those in critical sectors, such as health care, nuclear energy, oil and gas pipelines, air traffic control, fire fighting, and telecommunications industries. The law requires that labor disputes be subject first to mediation and that strikes take place only after mediation efforts fail. There were no major strikes during the year. Protests against the appointed general manager of the State-run television station, which began in December 2000, continued into January. In September owners of driving schools and used car dealerships blocked several Prague streets in front of the Transportation Ministry. They were protesting against changes in the law on vehicle registration, which they claimed would hurt their businesses.
There are no restrictions on trade union contacts with international organizations, and unions have developed a wide range of ties with international trade union bodies.
b. The Right to Organize and Bargain Collectively
The law provides for collective bargaining, which generally is carried out by unions and employers on a company basis; however, the 2001 ICFTU Annual Survey of Trade Union Rights alleged that some employers prevented communication between trade unionists to prevent collective agreements from being formed, and used other tactics designed to harass and intimidate workers. Those tactics reportedly included preventing union members from gaining access to company property, offering money in exchange for dissolving union organization within a company, firing union leaders, and refusing to withhold union dues from salaries. The scope for collective bargaining is more limited in the government sector for civil servants, where wages are regulated by law. The law prohibits antiunion discrimination.
There are 11 free trade zones. Their workers possess and practice the same right to organize and bargain collectively as other workers in the country.
There are no export processing zones.
c. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor
The law prohibits forced or compulsory labor; however, trafficking in women was a problem (see Section 6.f.).
The law prohibits forced or bonded labor by children; however, trafficking in children was a problem (see Section 6.f.).
d. Status of Child Labor Practices and Minimum Age for Employment
The Labor Code stipulates a minimum working age of 15 years, although children who completed courses at special schools (schools for the mentally disabled and socially maladjusted) may work at the age of 14. Employment conditions for children aged 15 to 18 are subject to strict safety standards. These regulations are enforced in practice.
On June 6, the Government ratified International Labor Organization Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labor.
The law prohibits forced or bonded labor by children; however, trafficking in children was a problem (see Section 6.f.).
e. Acceptable Conditions of Work
The Government sets minimum wage standards. The national minimum wage was approximately $154 (5,700 Czech crowns) per month; compared to approximately $113 (3,600 Czech crowns) per month in the previous year. The national minimum wage provides a decent standard of living for a worker and family. The monthly average wage is approximately $364 (13,473 Czech crowns) per month. Average net wages are 2.8 times higher than official subsistence costs. Government subsidies are available to families with children. Retraining efforts, carried out by district labor offices, seek to provide labor mobility for those at the lower end of the wage scale.
On January 1, 2001, a new law took effect establishing a 40-hour workweek, a decrease from the 42-hour workweek in the previous year. The law requires a paid rest period of at least 30 minutes during the standard 8-hour workday, as well as annual leave of 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the profession. Overtime ordered by the employer may not exceed 150 hours per year or 8 hours per week as a standard practice, although the local employment office may permit overtime above this limit. The Labor Ministry enforces standards for working hours, rest periods, and annual leave.
Government, unions, and employers promote worker safety and health standards, but conditions in some sectors of heavy industry do not meet these standards, particularly those awaiting privatization. The situation had improved at year's end, and the Government worked to harmonize its standards with those of the EU. In 2000 the number of industrial accidents declined 3.2 percent to 92,906 from 95,971 in 1999; year-end statistics reflected that the number of industrial accidents remained constant during the year. The Office of Labor Safety is responsible for enforcement of health and safety standards. Workers have the right to refuse work endangering their life or health without risk of loss of employment.
f. Trafficking in Persons
The law prohibits trafficking in persons; however trafficking in women and girls for the purpose of sexual exploitation was a problem.
The Czech Republic is a country of origin, transit, and destination country for trafficking in persons. A small number of Czech men are trafficked to the United States for coerced illegal work. Czech women and girls were trafficked to other European countries, such as Germany. Women and girls were trafficked to the Czech Republic from the former Soviet Union, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Women from Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and the Balkan countries were trafficked to and through the country--to other European countries and the United States--to work as prostitutes. There is some evidence that a small amount of trafficking of Czech women and children for prostitution takes place within Czech borders, from areas of low employment to border areas with Germany and Austria. The full extent of trafficking in children is unknown; however, convictions of child sex offenders were reported routinely in the media.
There also are other relevant statutes that can be used to prosecute traffickers. The penalties for trafficking are roughly commensurate with those for rape and sexual assault. The Government investigates and prosecutes cases of trafficking in persons, although the conviction rates are low. During the year, 25 persons were prosecuted for trafficking crimes, compared to 13 in 2000. In several cases, they received additional sentences for charges under other sections of the Criminal Code.
CZECH REPUBLIC - SOCIAL SECURITY
Social Security Office of International Programs:
http://www.ssa.gov/SSA_Home.html
CZECH REPUBLIC - STANDARD WORKWEEK
On January 1, 2001, a new law took effect establishing a 40-hour workweek, a decrease from the 42-hour workweek in the previous year. The law requires a paid rest period of at least 30 minutes during the standard 8-hour workday, as well as annual leave of 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the profession. Overtime ordered by the employer may not exceed 150 hours per year or 8 hours per week as a standard practice, although the local employment office may permit overtime above this limit. The Labor Ministry enforces standards for working hours, rest periods, and annual leave.
(Section 6.e. Acceptable Conditions of Work, Czech Republic - Report of Human Rights Practices, 2001, U.S. Department of State.)