Strike in the Detva Machine factory

Employees of the machine factory in Detva, a significant employer in central Slovakia, walked out on strike on Monday morning. Over 700 people, which is almost 90% of the workforce, gathered in front of the building to express their dissatisfaction with progress in talks on the new collective agreement. According to Stanislav Ľupták, the trade union leader in the company, the stumbling-block in negotiations is an increase in basic rates of pay. He also said, that since the employer has not initiated a meeting to look for solution of the situation, the strike would continue in the coming days as well. According to company's spokesperson Ľuboš Schwarzbacher, the employer has made concessions on most of the disputed points and would therefore be glad if the unions would also make some compromises.