Trade union OS KOVO has won an 8% wage increase at Korean-owned Nexen Tire, Bitozevs in Žatec, Czechia. Following industrial action and negotiations between union leaders and company representatives, a significant number of trade union demands were met.
The pay increase took effect 1 March, and the deal includes financial compensation for the failure to raise wages throughout 2022 and during the first three months of 2023. The increase amounts to 20,000 CZK, the equivalent of €840. The remaining points of the collective agreement will be discussed and should be agreed by the end of March.
Czech unions had the support of European counterparts throughout their struggle to obtain a collective agreement. “We congratulate OS KOVO and all its members and workers on their tireless efforts that have paid off,” said Luc Triangle, General Secretary of industriAll Europe. “We stand with you in your demands and will continue to do so throughout your bargaining process.”
Also in Czechia, workers at the manufacturing plant of Hyundai Motor Company will get an 11.7% pay rise from April. Hyundai's new collective agreement also includes two bonus payments over the next 14 months. The plant employs more than 3,000 staff.