Helena RomanovaCzech Railway Workers´ Trade Union

(OSŽ)Workshop Madrid July 1, 2015

PROMOTING EMPLOYMENT AND QUALITY OF WORK IN THE EUROPEAN RAIL SECTOR

PROMOTING EMPLOYMENT AND QUALITY OF WORK IN THE EUROPEAN RAIL SECTOR

Media Review of Railways in the Czech Republic

Background

Methodology

Sources (Monitored mass media)

Facts & Figures

Text analysis

Conclusion

Monitored mass media

public nationwide TV - Czech television (Channel ČT1, News Channel ČT24), commercial nationwide channel TV Nova (news), commercial nationwide channel TV Prima (news)

Radio

Internet

TV

Press

public nationwide radio station ČRo Radiožurnál, regional ČRo Region, ČRo Regina, commercial nationwide radio stations: Frekvence 1, Impuls

novinky.cz, financninoviny.cz, denik.cz, tyden.cz. e15.cz, tn.cz, ceskenoviny.cz, ct24.cz, lidovky.cz, iHned.cz, zprávy.iDNES.cz, reflex.cz

Aha, Blesk (daily news „yellow paper“), Lidové noviny, Mf Dnes, Haló noviny, Právo, Hospodářské noviny, E15 (daily nationwide newspapers) Metro (Prague´s daily newspaper), Deník (71 regional mutation – Publisher House Vltava-Labe Press)

Press - agency ČTK (Czech News Agency)

Period of monitoring

February 2014

May – December 2014

Total amount of news, articles and reports: 7107

Only news related railway sector in Czech Republic and its cross-border transport

From abroad: strike of German loco drivers, strike in Belgium, accident in Germany (Mannheim), Switzerland, Canada, 50th Anniversary of Japanese „Shinkanzen Express“, new high-speed corridors in China – not included in the analyse

Accidents: (train collisions, collision with cars, derailments, people injured by train, suicides on rails), lockouts on the tracks, caused by emergencies (like frozen cables in winter, strong summer storms, tracks undermined by water etc.), or by works on track or failure of infrastructure (signalization, railroad switch etc.) Negative consequences for passengers

Passenger transport: regional transport (closing of the non-profit lines, reopening regional lines, temporary touristic lines, financial issues, requests of the passengers etc.), cross-border traffic (Germany, Poland, Austria), Slovakia, long-distance trains

Railway station buildings: (transfer of the buildings from the operator “Czech Railways“ to state ownership of Infrastructure Administration, renovation of the buildings, passenger complaints about facilities and condition in railway building).

Monitored topics

Infrastructure: modernization of railways (tracks) etc., high-speed corridors: intentions, discussion, protests from town councils and regional administrations, sale of disused part of tracks (lines) to municipalities or to private companies.

Monitored topics

Rolling stock: purchase of new passenger´s carriages, modernization of current ones etc.), RailJet (purchase of new train units “Viaggio Comfort”, their launching, penalties for purchase without tender etc.

Liberalization of railway market: (competitive tenders), ongoing competitive warfare on railways (Czech Railways, RegioJet, Leo Express on line Prague - Ostrava), future competitive tenders on regional and long-distance lines etc.

Monitored topics

Clients Service, timetable information: price of tickets, sales of tickets, service for disabled passengers, special trains for bikers or canoeist, no compensation for delayed trains etc.)

Freight transport: ČD Cargo recovery from the loss in profit, PKP Cargo´s interest in AWT (Czech freight commercial operator), ČD Cargo will again carry the coal to Chvaletice Power Station.

Management of the Czech Railways and other legal bodies related to the railway sector (National Safe Authority, Infrastructure Administration, The Rail Safety Inspection) managerial changes, remuneration of management etc.)

Monitored topics

Announcements: invitations for weekend activities, historical and special trains with steam engines, leisure time activities, events for children (e.g. On December the Trip with St. Nicolas and the Devil )

Railway employees, trade unions: violence against railway personnel (4 cases), increase of the wages of railway employees, the keeping of the position “cashier“ at railways station“ (cancelled intention to establish ticket machines), recruitment to Infrastructure Administration

Economy of railway companies - loss & profit of the companies (Czech Railways, Leo Express, RegioJet), number of passengers, facts & figures, competitive tenders to supply services, disbursement of EU funds.

Accidents, lockouts,

emergencies45%

Passanger transport14%

Railway station buildings

6%

Infrastructure6%

Rolling stock4%

liberalization6%

Clients´ services, timetables

5%

Freight transport1%

Management, bodies

5%

Announcement3%

Employeestrade unions

1% Economy3%

Structure of the news

Accidents, lockouts, emergenciesLockouts caused by works on the tracks 67 0,9 %

Accidents on the tracks 2110 29,7 %

Lockouts caused by emergencies 341 4,8 %

Lockouts caused by failure of infrastructure 701 9,9 %

Total amount of articles 3219 45,3 %

Passenger transportRegional, touristic lines 587 8,3 %

Long – distance lines 134 1,9 %

Cross-boarder lines 104 1,5 %

Slovakia 161 2,3 %

Total amount of articles 986 13,9 %

Infrastructure

High- speed corridors, trains 98 1,4 %

Modernization of infrastructure 319 4,5 %

Sale of disused tracks 23 0,3 %

Total amount of articles 342 6,2 %

Rolling Stock

RailJet units 187 2,6 %

Other units and carriages 122 1,7 %

Total amount of articles 309 4,3 %

Liberalization of market

Ongoing competitive warfare 234 3,3 %

Competitive tenders 161 2,3 %

Total amount of articles 395 5,5 %

Service

Time table information 109 1,5 %

Clients´ services 243 3,4 %

Total amount of articles 352 5,0 %

Employees, trade unions

Employees of railway companies 76 1,1 %

Trade unions 13 0,2 %

Total amount of articles 86 1,3 %

Management, other legal bodies

Management of Czech Railways 288 4,1 %

Other legal bodies 72 1,0 %

Total amount of articles 360 5,1 %

Agenda setting

Frequency

Threshold

Unambiguity

Meaningfulness

Consonance

Unexpectedness

Continuity

Composition

Reference to elite nations

Reference to elite people

Reference to people

Negativity

News values

When events became newworthy: 12 factors (by J. Galtung and M. Ruge)

Text analysis

Accidents, lockouts („Black chronicle“)

Car smashed by train!The black year on track! 280 death peopleDeath on the tracksHorrifying accident on the track Drama in Ostrava: The train went off the rails 1.5 kilometres!A young man jumped under a trainMan hit by trainWoman had both legs amputed by “Pendolino“Travelling will be complicated by lockoutsTrain journeys spoilt by lockoutsMany trains will not go. The buses replace them

Text analysis

Fighting on the trackThe second price warPrice war is over, train tickets on line Prague – Ostrava increased by 30 %Czech Railways struck back against RegioJet, they snatched carriages from AustriaLeo Express sued Czech RailwaysArriva wants to deprive Czech Railways of the line: Liberec – Pardubice and Most – Pilsen.

Competitive warfare, liberalization:

Passenger transport – cross boarder transport

Czech and Saxon Switzerland after 70 years again connected by trainTo Dresden for the Christmas market by train with good-price ticketPeople want direct train connections with Poland (region Jeseník)More trains to Poland and Germany from Liberec region

Leo Express has passed a milestone year I don´t want to upset the competitors, but we know that we are more efficient, enthusiastic and more popular with clients than state railways. We build our business on this cornerstone. We do it better than state railways and cheaper – our expenses are lower. To this, we added our product and design. The same can be said about RegioJet. We aren´t defined by competition. We are a company, which provides services to people, for whom it´s important what they put on, if they are dirty from mud or not, if they eat healthily or not. How the environment is, influences their decision to be there or not, whether for leisure or work. If it´s in a nice design, material and colours with ice girls as stewards or manly stewards. (Interview with Leoš Novotný, owner of the commercial operator Leo Express, January 2016)

Text analysis Trade unions, employees:

About 4th railways package: Protest of trade unionists (Demonstration in Strasbourg)(In the newspaper of the Communist Party of the Czech Republic)

Minister of Finance agreed with the trade union keeping tax exemption.

Wages of railway employees increase by 2,9 %.Conductors are coming back, passengers cheat the ticket machine.Cashiers will be kept, ticket machines won´t replace them. Infrastructure Administration appoints hundreds of new employees

First women in the loco driver´s cabin of black Leo Express trains. Leo Express trains will be driven by 25 years old women.

News about violence against railway employees: Conductor bitten in the face. Aggression of passengers is increasing.Shred him! Young men sent a dog to dispatcher. Thug attacked conductor.Driver saved his life; he thanked him with the stone.

Text analysis

Management:

Services:Czech Railways adapt fast-train carriages for wheelchair users´ needs.Czech Railways make easier travelling for wheelchair users.Czech Railways think of wheelchair users.Czech Railways launched application for sales ticket on mobile phones Infant passengers will have their own ticket too. Parliament postponed compensation for delayed trains. Delayed trains without compensationTickets won´t be refund for the delay.Ticket prices will increase only minimally.

Without golden handshake. Boss of the railways received only two months salary.Czech Railways won´t pay 6 million for competition clause to Zeleny.Supervisor Board sacked railways boss.Supervisor Board adopted railways boss remuneration, including a bonus of 592.000 CZK.Purge of Czech Railways continues.

Rolling stocks:

Czech Railways launch RailJet for lines to Austria already in June.Super train in the Czech already since the summer. Without fee.Go with RailJet.From Brno to Vienna? Comfortably and with full stomach. Czech Railways offer the business class in RaiJet since December.Cinema for children and space for the bikes. RailJet became the biggest attraction of railway fair trade in Ostrava

Czech Railways don´t have enough money for trains, they have to take out a loan.Czech Railways don´t have 2,5 billion CZK for new RailJet, they have to borrow.Czech Railways received all time highest penalty 25 million CZK for purchase RailJet.Czech Railways paid penalty for the wrong purchase of RailJet.Office for the protection of competition confirmed the highest penalty 25 billions CZK for Czech Railways.There are no engines for trains worth billions.Czech Railways made a mistake in rental of the Taurus engine.Penalty for Taurus 1 million CZK

What´s the media image of railway sector in the Czech Republic

Almost 50 % of news has negative message

How to improve its image? better and more communicate achievements (the Czech Railways)

News are in the consonance with negative experience of recipients

Conclusion

competition in railway sector is reflected as „bloody war“