Public Service Unions Agree to Review Salary Base Agreement

Representatives of the Government and public service unions have agreed to continue discussions regarding the review of the salary base agreement in public services, with the technical preparation to be carried out by a professional committee.

This was announced after today’s meeting of the President of the Economic and Social Council, Minister of Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Božidar Kalmeta, with representatives of public service unions. Conditions have been met for the review of the agreement, considering the GDP decline of more than five percent; a review is underway, but we want technical preparation to see what the amounts are and what to do, stated the President of the Croatian Teachers’ Union Zvonimir Laktašić after the meeting at Banski Dvori. He announced that a committee (composed of four representatives from the Government and unions) would meet at the beginning of next week to prepare the technical groundwork for the review, after which they would decide whether to sign an amendment to the agreement or not. Once they (the committee) complete the technical preparation, we will make a political decision on whether to proceed with the amendment to the agreement or not, that is, whether we will forgo that increase for inflation or not, Laktašić explained, clarifying that it concerns an increase of 17 kuna. Namely, the salary base agreement in public services from May last year ties salary increases to inflation.

The inflation rate during that period is 0.73 percent, which is negligible. According to this, it would be a salary increase in public services of 17 kuna, Laktašić said. We will discuss this when the committee provides explanations and addresses other items in that agreement. After that, we will sit down and make a political decision on whether to proceed with signing the amendment or stick with what has been signed, he reiterated. The conversation was good, constructive, and will continue, Kalmeta said. He also reminds that conditions have been met to proceed with the review of the agreement and that a professional committee will be appointed to make a proposal for the review. Kalmeta emphasizes that discussions should also take place regarding the Basic Collective Agreement for public services, which expires at the end of July this year, and that it has been stated that discussions must also include the Christmas bonus. We have agreed on what we need to discuss, we will meet next week, and I believe we will reach a solution through agreement, he said. (H)