Czech social services face collapse over unpaid staff wages

Providers of social services in the Moravian-Silesian Region of Czechia have warned of a critical shortage of money for staff wages and for keeping their organisations running. Representatives of the region's charitable organisations told journalists on Wednesday that, because of the underfunding, they will have to cut staff and reduce help for the elderly, people with disabilities, the homeless and other people in need.

“We are in the hardest situation in years. Something similar happened in 2012, but things are even worse now. If we cannot secure additional funding for social services in our region, we will have to lay off staff and cut the scope of services,” said representatives of social service providers in the Moravian-Silesian Region.

Why there isn't enough money

Lukáš Curylo, director of the Diocesan Caritas of Ostrava-Opava, explained that nobody wants to look for someone to blame among the state, the region, the municipalities or individual organisations. But the fact is that, with rising costs for wages, energy and fuel, and a growing volume of services, these organisations have less state funding this year than last. For some providers, the question now is not about pay rises, but whether there will be enough money to cover the November and December payments to staff at all.

According to Curylo, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs allocated 3.2 billion crowns this year to fund social services — 171 million less than a year earlier. The ministry later increased the amount by 60 million crowns, and a further 53 million crowns is due to reach the region. “Unfortunately, even taking these sums into account, the shortfall compared with last year is 58 million crowns,” Curylo noted.

Who faces cuts

Zuzana Filipková, director of Diakonie Silesia, said the situation is indeed critical: her organisation, which provides more than a hundred social and social-healthcare services in the region for people in need, the elderly, people with disabilities and the homeless, is short 39 million crowns for its current operations. “That's a large sum. If it were smaller, we could somehow manage. We haven't been able to raise wages or pay bonuses, so there is a risk of staff layoffs. And finding a qualified worker for social services is already a major problem in itself,” Filipková warned.

According to her, the money shortfall affects not only wages but also supplies and staff training, which is legally mandatory for social service employees. Clients of the organisation have already had to cut back on activities — trips and excursions have been cancelled. If the missing funds cannot be found, the organisation will be forced to scale back its day centres and outreach services.

The Salvation Army is facing similar problems — in the Moravian-Silesian Region it is short 29.5 million crowns for social services.

Layoffs being prepared in Karviná

Jana Plačková, the Salvation Army's regional director for the Moravian-Silesian Region, said the situation is worst at the men's shelter in Havířov, where money is lacking for three months at once, from October through December. Most other services are short of funds for the last month of the year, while the low-threshold facilities for children and teenagers in Ostrava and Havířov are short for November and December. According to Plačková, cutting back these services without breaching the mandatory terms of the region's social services network and legal requirements is practically impossible.

The situation is also very difficult at the Karviná-based organisation Galaxie Centrum pomoci, which has already posted an appeal for financial help on its website. At stake is the care of 23 people with disabilities at its day centre and four residents in sheltered housing. “We are negotiating with Karviná and the region about what to do next. If no solution is found, it will mean liquidation for us. Ten employees will lose their jobs,” said the organisation's director, Ingrid Tuziaková.

The organisations already warned the regional assembly of deputies about the critical situation back in September. At the time, a proposal was made to allocate 100 million crowns to support the funding of social services in the region, but the deputies did not approve it. Curylo said the organisations will now turn to the region and the ministry for help again.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz