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.
