Thousands of staff at Czech public broadcasters strike over funding plans

Industrial action is biggest escalation yet in months-long dispute with populist government of Andrej Babiš

Thousands of public service media employees in Czechia are holding a 24-hour strike after the government of the billionaire prime minister, Andrej Babiš, pushed ahead with controversial plans to change the way the country’s public broadcasters are funded.

Monday’s industrial action by staff at Czech Television and Czech Radio marks the biggest escalation yet in a months-long confrontation between the broadcasters and Babiš’s populist administration.