Employees of public radio and television positions in the Czech Republic have gone on a 24-hour strike to protest against government reforms aimed at media funding.

Thousands of employees of Czech Television and Czech Radio began a 24-hour strike on Monday, protesting against the plans of the government led by Andrej Babiš to reform the funding system for public media.

This union action, considered unprecedented in the modern history of the Czech Republic, marks a significant escalation of tensions between the media and the government. The strike will affect the services provided by these institutions, and employees are wearing black clothing as a symbol of protest.

Last week, the Czech Cabinet approved a bill that eliminates license fees for public media, replacing them with direct funding from the state budget, which could reduce the budget of Czech Television by about 15%.

Critics fear that this change will compromise the independence of the media, making them more vulnerable to political influence, similar to the situation in Hungary. The bill also stipulates that the Supreme Audit Office will check the finances of these institutions, including retroactively.