Enclosure to the minutes – 16. 2. 2005
THE COMMON STATEMENT OF THE COUNCIL OF (CZECH) UNIVERSITIES AND THE CZECH CONFERENCE OF RECTORS TO THE PROPOSED CHANGES IN THE LABOUR CODE SUBMITTED BY THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS
On 31st January 2005, under the reference number 2005/5599-52, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Zdeněk Škromach submitted the proposal of the new Labour Code for the debate on this bill. The representatives of universities do not want to comment either on the general concept of this bill or the single proposed regulations included in it. They however want to give their clear statement on the relevant part of the bill concerning directly the universities.
According to this bill of the Labour Code, the level of wages and payments for the university employees should be determined by the state it is in state or non-profit institutions. Due to such a step the universities would lose the chance not only to influence individually their further development in the frame of the competition within the academic environment but also a substantial part of their independence and self-governing decision making in their basic activities. Determination of wage limits of the employees of public universities according to the scheme set by the state directly implies determination of wage funds and limits of labour force and their qualification structure.
In this context it is the most arrogant effort to curtail the decision making competences of the internal bodies of universities and to return to the situation not only before 1998 when the present Act on Higher Education was passed but even before 1989. Therefore it is hard to believe that at present such a bill can be submitted for the debate, and moreover, without any preliminary consultation with the academic representatives. Both parts of the universities representatives therefore strictly refuse this part of the bill of the Labour Code.
