Czech Billa employees win another 5% raise

The Billa supermarket chain has raised wages at its stores for the second time this year, this time by 5 percent. Staff will be paid an average of CZK 1,200 more, following negotiations with labor union leaders. Billa has raised wages 17 percent this year in total. It can apparently afford to do this because last saw after-tax profits grow 60 percent to CZK 591m on revenues of CZK 27.7bn. The Czech News Agency writes that the average wage in the Czech Republic had risen 7.2 percent during the second quarter of the year to 7.2 percent to CZK 34,105. There's been a battle between the grocery giants for over a year now, with Penny Market now offering store workers between CZK 23,000 and CZK 28,000 per month.