Government and Unions Sign Agreement on Salary Changes

The government and the unions of state and public services signed today an Agreement on the change of salaries for employees in state and public services, which union representatives initialed a week ago, thereby abandoning the strike that, according to their announcements, was supposed to paralyze the state.

Minister of Labor and Pension System Mirando Mrsić and leaders of 13 unions of state and public services signed an agreement in which the government committed not to reduce salaries and seniority allowances this year, and to negotiate an increase in coefficients after Croatia achieves GDP growth for three consecutive quarters and the budget deficit is below 3 percent.

“We have signed an agreement that ensures social peace regarding salaries in state and public services, and which guarantees that salary increases will be negotiated when the situation in the country improves and when we have room in the budget for that,” said Minister Mrsić.

“After this agreement, there are no losers or winners, and it has been signed by the majority of unions of state and public services,” emphasized Mrsić. Leaders of four unions – doctors, science, HZZO, and the Preporod union, who did not sign it, can join it later, Mrsić stated.

The government is open to social dialogue, asserted Mrsić, announcing discussions on the agreement on social peace in public and state services, which would establish the rules ‘on how we will behave in good and bad times’ – in situations when the budget is well filled and generates good revenues, as well as when there is a crisis and there is no money in the budget.

He also announced the start of negotiations on Christmas bonuses and severance pay for 2014 in September.

President of the Independent Union of Secondary Schools Branimir Mihalinec stated that the agreement was previously subjected to credible interpretation to eliminate any ambiguities and the possibility of different interpretations, and it was determined that it was signed in good faith and as such guarantees social peace.

Mihalinec expressed regret that they ‘sat at the table’ only after the unions initiated strong actions, such as the threat of blocking the system. “We could have resolved all issues in a peaceful atmosphere without that, but social partnership needs to be initiated, and that does not depend only on the unions,” Mihalinec stated.

Mrsić responded that negotiations with the government can always take place and be agreed upon, but ‘there are no agreements under the table, no subsequent visits to the government, nor night negotiations.’ We completed these negotiations ‘above the table and during the day,’ emphasized Mrsić.

Leader of the Independent Union of Health and Social Care of Croatia Spomenka Avberšek announced that in September, during negotiations on Christmas bonuses and severance pay, all rights guaranteed to state and public servants until the end of the year will also be addressed.