Statement of Solidarity with Trade Unions and Employees of Public Service Media and Higher Education Institutions in the Arts in the Czech Republic
The local branch of the Trade Union of Workers in Education and Science in Slovakia (OZ PŠaV) at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava expresses its solidarity with and support for the trade unions and employees of Czech Television and Czech Radio in their efforts to protect their employment, social and professional interests and preserve the independence of public service media. We also express our solidarity with colleagues at higher education institutions in the arts in the Czech Republic who support these efforts.
We support the participants in the strike of 3 November 2026 and their continued efforts to secure stable and predictable funding for public service media. We consider it essential that their employees can carry out their work under dignified conditions, with respect for professional integrity and free from political pressure.
We regard independent public service media as an important part of a democratic society because they provide a space for open public debate, share culture and knowledge, contribute to education and offer a platform for free artistic expression. Their future therefore directly concerns higher education institutions in the arts, their staff, students and graduates.
As a trade union organisation, we consider the right to organise freely in trade unions, collectively defend legitimate interests and pursue them through constructive social dialogue and protest activities to be inviolable. We support our colleagues in their efforts to initiate an open and substantive discussion that respects employees’ rights, the independence of public service media and the public interest.
Trade union solidarity knows no borders. We stand with you.
OZ PŠaV Local Branch at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava