Approximately two-thirds of all workers are members of a union. The judiciary is independent in law and practice, but court delays and a lack of experienced judges remain problems. In June 1999, advocates for the country s Roma population filed discrimination suits against the state. In July, the government passed EU-based legislation to promote better relations among the country s ethnic groups. In August and October, the EU issued criticisms of federal and local policies towards the Roma, who number between 200,000 and 300,000 and suffer disproportionately high levels of poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment.
Czech citizens have the freedom to travel and the right to choose their residence and employment.
In July the parliament passed legislation that restored citizenship to all those, including Roma groups, who had had lost their citizenship between 1948 and 1990. Property rights are guaranteed under the constitution and by law. In April 1999, the government acknowledged the failure of voucher schemes in the early 1990s, which led to an inefficient and occasionally corrupt privatization process. In May, the government began to prepare large, money-losing state banks for privatization. In July, 50.8 percent of the state telecom company was offered to international investors in the country s biggest share flotation.