EMPLOYEE representatives in Volkswagen Slovakia (VW SK) announced a strike alert on March 21 over the lack of results in collective bargaining with the company’s management.
“If the employer meets our demands at least partially, we will withdraw the strike alert,” VW SK trade union head Zoroslav Smolinský said, as quoted by the TASR newswire. “Nonetheless, our employees need to know that the talks have not moved in any way; and there is a real threat of a strike.”
The trade unionists are demanding a 6-percent salary hike, an increase in supplementary pension contributions and longer paid leave. VW SK, on the other hand, proposed decreasing salaries by 4 percent due to austerity measures, in addition to shortened working hours.
Trade union representatives talked with VW management on March 21 for the first time in the presence of a mediator, who asked both sides to provide their materials for evaluation. VW SK spokesman Vladimír Machalík reiterated that the company will not provide comments for the media before the talks have concluded.
