The real Mirek Dušín?

Whistblowing" and "ethical codex". Two words that more and more companies don't even translate into Czech anymore, adopt them on their websites as a sign of seriousness and "brag about" their compliance in their presentations. You just can't do a proper "PR" today without them. However, practice will show whether it is only playing "Mirek Dušín" theatre role. Especially in situations where you really have nothing else to leave.

“The Company will not tolerate retaliation against whistleblowers. Employees who report any conduct or suspected conduct by or within the Company that is illegal, fraudulent, or in violation of its policies will not be intimidated, harassed, discriminated against, or retaliated against. Examples of prohibited retaliation include, but are not limited to, verbal or physical threats, reductions in compensation, requiring the performance of "special" (meaning "strange") work tasks, and termination of employment.

I described in detail how Radio ГA / ГA fulfils these principles to the letter in March 2020 in my lawsuit against discrimination and unequal treatment, and there will certainly be room to return to it here.

Then the entire system of "hotline" contacts is listed here, where these unfortunates can invoke their truth.

To give this Radio ГA / ГA document even more seriousness, here are some other important links. They are the "code of ethics", the principle of "equal employment opportunities", "complaint resolution", and probably always the most important for an American employer - "sexual harassment". While the first mentioned gradually lost importance at Radio ГA / ГA, the importance of understanding the issue of "sexual harassment" was highlighted annually by the company's management, and failure to sign it by a certain date could cause you considerable "harassing" complications.

The fact that this year, the company's General Counsel will personally oversee its signing. By a trip to Prague from as far away as Washington DC he testamented to its importance. It is really particularly nice weather here at this period of year.

But envy is a bad thing. So let's look at some of the links in more detail and, if necessary, break them down in a few sentences.

1. Equal Employment Opportunity

Since 2018, the trade union has repeatedly addressed and unsuccessfully pointed out the actual almost ten-year stagnation of the wages of RFE employees who are bound by Czech employment contracts. It was repeatedly in this context unsuccessfully requested to match wages to the level of the usual average in comparable professions in the Czech Republic. Similarly, in recent years, very discriminatory three levels of remuneration have been repeatedly pointed out, when American citizens receive completely different wages for the same work, but another for "expatriates" and another for Czech employees. These are not small differences in remuneration, but indeed differences in hundreds of percent.

In the end, this went so far that the "Trade Union of State Bodies and Organisations" also commented on this topic here and expressed his support.

On June 12, 2019, a meeting of the representatives of the employer and the Trade Union was held, where a solution was discussed and requested to match the wages of Czech employees, at the level usual in comparable professions in the Czech Republic.

In August 2019, there was a meeting with the company's president and management. Again, the question of the permissibility of a ten-year stagnation of wages for Czech employees was discussed, while the wages of contractors providing security services are regularly and completely inexplicably increased and fully refunded from year to year. It is a mockery of the Trade Union and, by extension, the Czech employees, that at each of the "meetings" with the employer's representatives, but even at the "meeting" with the participation of the highest in the food chain (understand Mr. President), they were assured that the matter would be resolved immediately, as it the financial budget will allow that but these assurances and promises have not been fulfilled. In light of the uncontrolled spending and waste of funds elsewhere, such an attitude is immoral to say the least. It is possible to believe, with a probability approaching the limit of certainty, that according to Czech law this procedure is even illegal (according to the Code work belongs to all employees at one employer for the same work, or for work of the same value, one should have the same salary). Fair remuneration of the employee, equal treatment of employees and prohibition of their discrimination are among the basic principles of labor law.

2. Complaint Resolution

As we were able to find out, if there was a complaint from the complainant that was directed to financial issues (strange payments for services) or to the above topics, the expected reaction in the spirit of "whistleblowing" principles not only did not appear, but it began to be suggested to the complainant that it was not good to open these subjects, that one should fix one's attention in another direction and be more loyal. It was indicated that if one does not follow such recommendations, the employer will have to start dealing with his performance and perhaps his more frequent absences (for example, those in the past period due to health reasons). At another interview, one was then informed that he was not loyal enough and that one should seriously consider leaving the organisation. And because one was unteachable according to Radio ГA / ГA law, today he is already fighting against his legal machinery with a lawsuit to clear his name.

I would never have thought that in a company like this I would come face to face with such flagrant violations of rights, discrimination and manifestations of undisguised bossiness.

3. Moral code

The last of Radio ГА / ГA's trifles of sainthood is its moral code, which is drawn up, as usual, "nationally non-discriminatory", i.e. only in English and Russian (no Czech) and was published in April 2019. You would find them at length on their website and they searched hard, so I attach it for viewing here:

1.2 Code of Ethics.docx

Download DOCX • 35KB

In the preamble it is written here.

A company's credibility and effectiveness as a news station depends on the ability of its followers, partners, business partners and employees to trust the integrity of the journalism it publishes and the employees who create and support its content. Employees are expected to take great care to avoid any conduct or relationship, whether in or outside the workplace, and whether or not expressly prohibited by the provisions, which would result in, or is likely to, that creates an impression:

• bias, favoritism or dishonesty in broadcasting

• using their position with the company to promote personal benefit or profit

• improper preferential treatment or unlawful discrimination against any person or entity

• lack of integrity

In the spirit of the already published here "Sign, or...", each employee must electronically confirm every calendar year that they have read this code of ethics and that they fully agree with them.

Truthfully, I don't remember much about this signature event of mine, but it is possible that I did so at other similar signature events. Shit, I'm an older person.

Part 5.a) regarding the use of the company's assets is particularly interesting, where it is written verbatim:

The Company prohibits the use of its funds to make payments to any person, company or organisation to obtain favorable treatment in securing business, intelligence resources or other special services, regardless of perceived benefit to the Company, if such the payments are not (i) made pursuant to a written agreement signed by an authorised representative of the Company and (ii) do not violate the laws of the United States of America or the country in which such payment is made.

We are leaving this part uncommented for now and we will be happy to return to this quote when publishing our other contributions, which we obtained on the basis of the "info law" and which are publicly accessible.

You will then be able to judge whether

So, is Radio ГA / ГA really "Mirek Dušín" or it's "Dlouhé bidlo"?