SHMU Employees Warn of Crisis at Institute, Director Seeks Meeting with Them

Bratislava, April 8 (TASR) - Employees of the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMU) are warning of a crisis that according to them threatens the institute's professional integrity, operational capacity, and international reputation and have therefore addressed an open letter to the SHMU leadership, the Environment Ministry, the Government Office, and the public, TASR has learnt from SHMU climatologist Jozef Pecho. Employees are warning about forced layoffs, budget cuts, staff breakdown, professional deterioration, and a loss of trust in the institute's leadership. "The atmosphere in the workplace is dominated by a lack of transparency, poor communication, distrust, and intimidation from management," they said. Employees also claim that their personal allowances have been cancelled, bonuses are not being paid, and workplace benefits, collaboration on international projects, foreign business trips, and remote working are being restricted. "As a result, meteorologists, climatologists, hydrologists, and air quality experts have left, and these positions are extremely difficult to fill in Slovakia. In addition, many SHMU departments have long been understaffed, yet further rounds of layoffs are still planned," the employees stated in an open letter. "Without effective SHMU, Slovakia will loose its credibility, enter into legislative conflict with the European Union, and be unable to protect the lives, health and property of its people. Destroying SHMU would mean dismantling the system for climate threat warnings and protection, along with essential services on which the country’s safety and functioning depend," the experts stated in the letter. They are calling on the institute's leadership and the Environment Ministry, as the institute’s founder, to immediately halt the personnel, operational, and professional destruction of the institute. Through an internal petition supported by over 150 SHMU employees, the staff have reached out to SHMU temporary general director Ivana Herkel, requesting a meeting to discuss the current situation. According to SHMU's spokesman Ivan Garcar, Herkel is set to meet with leadership of the Environment Ministry on Thursday (April 10), followed by meetings with representatives of SHMU's trade unions and the petition committee. lin