Country gearing up for 24-hour transport strike

The Czech Republic is gearing up for a 24-hour transport strike over government reforms. The strike, called by the country’s trade unions, will begin at midnight Wednesday and will affect rail services throughout the Czech Republic, as well as tram and bus transport in the big cities predominantly Prague, Brno and Ostrava. Trade unions say Prague’s metro will be brought to a standstill for nearly 30 hours and traffic jams are expected in connection with planned road blockades of crucial nodes in the capital. Flights should not be affected by the protest. The strike action is in protest of pensions, health care and tax reforms planned by the centre-right government. The cabinet has said it is willing to negotiate, but trade unions insist that the concessions offered are inadequate.