The social dialogue between the Government, trade unions and employers on the General Collective Agreement, as well as the non-working week for shops, the seven-hour working week and changes to the norms for paying sick leave, will continue next week, as today they discussed the analysis presented by the Ministry of Finance on the possible impacts on the budget if the calculation value of the wage coefficient were to increase from 90 to 100 euros, which would mean an increase in most salaries by around ten percent.
The Ministry of Finance's analysis, which was also criticized, showed that the net cost to the state budget would be around 100 million euros, and the gross cost would be around 170 million. That is, around 70 million would be returned to the state through taxes and contributions on the increased portion of wages, as well as through consumption taxes.
This calculation of the cost to the budget does not only refer to the increase in wages in the event of an increase in the calculation value, but also to the adjustments of pensions and social benefits that would occur due to the growth of the average wage with which they are periodically adjusted.
The social partners will now analyze the data received, and in the coming weeks they will have individual meetings with the Prime Minister and his team. The dates of the next meetings will be announced on Monday and Tuesday.
Union representatives pointed out that it was good that the dynamics of negotiations were accelerating and recalled that previously they had been unable to reach the Prime Minister for months.
Some employer representatives announced that they are ready to increase their workers' salaries if their demands are accepted, which relate to shortening the period of paid sick leave at the employer's expense from 60 to 30 days, concessions for a non-working week...
The general collective agreement, which defines most labor rights and relations between employees and employers, was due to expire on December 30, but lawmakers amended the Labor Law to extend its validity until March 31. Although there were expectations that an agreement could be reached by the end of January, so that the increased calculation value could be applied to February's salary, this is becoming increasingly unrealistic.
After the meeting, the Secretary of the Confederation of Trade Unions, Duško Zarubica, said that negotiations would continue next week, when he expected that positions would converge and that issues from the package of proposals on the agenda would begin to be resolved.
The President of the Employers' Union, Slobodan Mikavica, stated that there were no concrete results today.
"So, everything is on the table, we are talking openly. We are aware of the responsibility of the severity of the impact on everything, first of all on the budget and how it will be reflected, but also, let me say, other conditions that have been put forward by the unions and employers are in play. As for other demands that the unions are making regarding certain benefits through general collective bargaining, those are topics for discussion. It is not a big deal if a compromise is not found on some of these topics now, because it is simply an ongoing dialogue that must be, let me say, monitored on a daily basis depending on the market, economic opportunities and all other influences on the economy," said Mikavica.
The Secretary of the Union of Free Trade Unions, Srđa Keković, said that the effects of Europe Now 1 and Europe Now 2 have been devalued by inflation and have begun to be significantly lost, and that we need to align wages with real costs. He also said that it is high time for the Government to accept these demands.
The calculation value of the coefficient was set at 90 euros 13 years ago and has not been changed since then. The obligation from the General Collective Agreement, which was last signed at the end of 2022, is to review its amount at the end of each year by December 31 by adjusting it to inflation, movements in the minimum consumer basket, cost of living, economic factors..., however, this has not been done since then.
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