Primorac: We Are Not Delaying Negotiations with Unions on Salary Increases

Finance Minister Marko Primorac stated on Monday that the government is not delaying negotiations with unions regarding salary increases and expects to sit down at the table in the near future, emphasizing that the priority in aid measures must be the most vulnerable citizens.

When asked by reporters when negotiations with unions, which are demanding 10% salary increases, will begin, Primorac said at a press conference that he is open to discussions, but they have not yet taken place, adding that he cannot answer whether the requested increase will be granted.

– I would not like unions, the Ministry of Finance, and the government, with due respect to you, to conduct negotiations through the media – said Primorac, adding that he expects to sit down with the unions in ‘the near future’.

He also stated that the government has not rejected the proposal for salary increases, acknowledging that it will have to happen and that there is no avoiding it.

In the context of the unions’ demands, Primorac also referred to the planned measures to assist citizens, emphasizing the importance of having priorities, given that there are individuals who are socially vulnerable, such as retirees with low pensions or citizens receiving the minimum guaranteed allowance.

– In a technical-operational sense and within the budgetary framework, considerations are being made on how and which part of the measures to implement immediately, so that part of it can already be paid out in September and October – said Primorac, stressing that some measures will have to be ‘postponed’ for the period after the budget revision.

Therefore, he stated that a certain portion of citizens will still have to be patient for some time, ‘but not for too long’.

– It is not that we are delaying these negotiations to minimize costs for the state, but it is merely a matter of a more technical nature, while considering all circumstances and possibilities available to us – said Primorac.

He assured that everyone can be completely confident that the state will not profit from this crisis, and if by any chance a certain portion of funds remains due to extraordinary revenues, primarily tax revenues, it will be redistributed in a timely manner, that is, directed towards the groups that are most vulnerable.

– If you believe that we are somehow delaying certain decisions to save as much as possible for the budget, that is not true. Therefore, we will not save anything. All funds that may be extra collected will be redistributed, but we will, of course, establish certain priorities and ways in which we will distribute those funds – emphasized the finance minister.

Primorac also mentioned that defining priority measures has reached ‘practically the end’, it is known approximately which groups of people will be affected, and now it is just a matter of amounts, payment methods, and the intensity of measures, in terms of whether they will be paid out all at once or in several installments.

He reiterated that measures cannot help everyone, so it is essential to establish priorities, in terms of assistance to the most vulnerable. When asked whether the current situation could trigger the introduction of a tax on extraordinary profits, Primorac said that this is also being considered.