ARMENIAN JOURNALIST SUES RFE/RL IN PRAGUE OVER DISMISSAL – PRESS
Czech Happenings, Czech Republic
Author: ÈTK 57527
June 14 2007
Prague- Czech courts will probably deal with the alleged discrimination
against some employees of the U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio
Liberty (RFE/RL) seated in Prague, the daily Lidove noviny (LN)
writes, referring to the case of Armenian reporter Anna Karapetian
who complaints against her dismissal from the radio after 12 years.
Karapetian claims that the notice is invalid and wants the employer
to annul it, LN adds.
RFE/RL refused to comment on the case.
The RFE/RL employees who do not come either from the United States or
the Czech Republic have problems with defending their rights. While
Czechs can rely on the Labour Code, disputes with U.S. employees
are solved by the Washington-seated Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission.
But foreign employees from the third countries have no institution
to turn to with labour disputes. They sign contracts with RFE/RL on
the basis of U.S. laws but they have not right for the U.S. Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission to deal with their cases, LN writes.
Czech courts had ruled in the case of another employee that the RFE/RL
can sign contracts with foreigners on the basis of U.S. law.
This actually means that foreigners working in the Czech Republic
can be deprived of the employees’ rights guaranteed for Czech citizens.
The defence counsel of this female employee, who requested anonymity,
has filed a recourse with the Supreme Court and his client is prepared
to turn to the Constitutional Court. Karapetian says she is willing
to do the same, LN notes.
LN commentator Martin Zverina writes in today’s issue of the paper
that the practice in the RFE/RL concerning its different approach to
employees is at variance with the radio station’s ideals.
"Prague’s office of the Radio Free Europe promising to promote the
ideas of freedom, democracy and law is behaving as an employer as
if the proclaimed principles should apply ‘only’ to the whole world,
but not inside this respected institution," Zverina says.
He adds that the radio employees are divided into three "castes"
– Americans, Czechs and those from the third countries who "enjoy"
no protection.
The radio management grossly abuses this situation and treats such
employees like "a colonial power treated natives with no rights,"
Zverina says.
It is also strange, if not even alarming that Czech courts consider
this practice correct. It will be interesting to watch the higher-level
court’s stance on these cases as in relation to the possible stationing
of a U.S. radar defence base on Czech territory, the Czech Republic
should clearly prevent such practice, Zverina writes in LN.
–Boundary_(ID_YRx+ZZpRNcXy0Clf3G4oXA)–