News update as of March 15, 2018

Czech Republic/Unions seek a 30-minute daily reduction in working time for a 37.5 hour week without any change in salary. The national press is reporting this story of a reduction in the working week. "People would work 7.5 hours per day with a 30-minute break" stated Josef Stredula, leader of the country's most influential union confederation the CMKOS. Unemployment is the lowest in the EU and businesses are coping with manpower shortages. As such commentators recognize that unions currently have the upper hand. Presently the regular working week comprises 42.5 hours including a daily 30-minute pause. Josef Stredula intends to officially present a demand for a shorter working week at the CMKOS congress meeting set for the end of April, as a way of managing job losses due to digital transformation. The metals workers union Kovo also intends to take up this demand in 2019. Press reports indicate that employers aren't terribly opposed to the principle. Radek Spicar, vice-president of the Industry confederation (SPCR) stated, "At the moment lower working hours could be feasible for those economies that are well prepared, i.e. that are adequately productive and profitable. Thus this is mainly for economies that produce end products, where domestic capital dominates, and that are successfully managing the fourth revolution of industry automation, digitalization and robotics."