Labour and Pension System Minister Josip Aladrovic said on Thursday the government advocated a horizontal pay rise for everyone and not just some groups.

Speaking to the press before a cabinet meeting, he said there had been several horizontal corrections, with a 11.5% pay rise for everyone over the past two years. “We expect, with a further pay rise and positive economic trends, to correct (wages) for everyone, not just some selected groups.”

As for teachers’ demands for higher wages, Aladrovic said he would hear their demands today and see if any talks were necessary given that branch collective agreements were signed last year and the demands were not related to collective negotiations.

Commenting on healthcare workers’ demands for higher wages, he said their branch collective agreement expired on October 31. “We will do our best to arrive at a solution. I think we are close to a solution,” he said, adding that what had been initialled would cost HRK 395 million.

Speaking of a national pension, the minister said it would be fully implemented in 2021 and that the legislative framework would be ready by autumn 2020. He said the national pension “will become an element within the pension and welfare systems” and that it was too early to say how much it would cost the state.

There is a group of 53,000 people who will be over 65 in 2021 and have no income, he added.

Divjak for opening dialogue between government and unions

Education Minister Blazenka Divjak, who approved teacher unions’ demands for a 6% wage index increase, before today’s cabinet meeting said that it was necessary to open a dialogue between the government and unions.

She said investing in education was an investment, not an expense, adding that the teachers’ wage index lagged behind the wage index of other public sector workers and that this “injustice” has to be resolved.

About 1,500 teachers are protesting today outside Government House, demanding a 6% wage index increase.