PPS Group employees still on strike

The second day of the strike by employees of the engineering company PPS Group Detva (Banska Bystrica region) saw some 650 people gather in front of the factory on Tuesday. The employees went on strike at the beginning of the week as they've been unable to agree with the employer on some points of the collective agreement. According to the trade union, a salary increase was the biggest bone of contention to emerge during the negotiation on the collective agreement. The trade union is demanding a 7-percent salary hike whereas the employer is proposing a 1.5-percent hike and an additional 1.5 percent as of January 1, next year. According to PPS Group spokesman Luboš Schwarzbacher, the strike is causing losses of some €200,000 per day. Moreover, it isn't a good external signal, as it only harms the firm's credibility in the eyes of its customers.