Union-led protest against rising living costs held in Prague

Prague [Czech Republic], October 9: Several thousand people gathered in Prague's Wenceslas Square on Saturday to voice concern over rising living costs.
The country's major trade unions organized the demonstration, calling attention to inflation and declining living standards in the Czech Republic.
Labor leaders called on the government to help people survive amid soaring inflation by capping prices on essential goods and raising the minimum wage.
"We are still convinced that the government is not doing enough, that it is acting slowly," President of the Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions Josef Stredula said at the rally.
Stredula, who is currently collecting signatures for a presidential bid, also said the government needs to ensure that major businesses don't collapse to avoid widespread unemployment in the country.
Roman Durco, leader of another major trade union, KOVO, said demonstrations would continue if the government doesn't manage the situation properly.
The president of the major health and social care union Dagmar Zitnikova called for a price cap in the food and energy sectors, noting that such policies are already effective in healthcare.
Jiri Dokoupil, president of the Union of Czech Orchestral Musicians, noted that the country's cultural sphere is on the brink of collapse due to price increases.
According to figures published by the Czech Statistical Office, consumer prices rose by 15.8 percent in the second quarter of this year. The main culprits driving this wave of inflation include food, housing and energy prices.
Source: Xinhua