The Preporod union of school employees said on Thursday that public servants' salaries in 2020 would actually go up 4.02% as the planned rise of 6.12% would become effective only on September 1, 2020.

The union issued a press release after the government announced on Wednesday that public servants’ salaries in 2020 would rise 6.12%. The union said base pay would probably be raised three times, on January 1, June 1, and September 1, 2020.

Given that the base was raised twice, by 3% on January 1 and 2% on September 1, the announced base pay rise in 2020 on three occasions will result in a virtually identical pay rise as this year, amounting to 4.02% for the entire year, the union said.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic’s proposal represents the government’s staring position in further negotiations with public sector unions on base pay for next year. Aside from the proposed base pay rate, the unions will raise the question of the pace of the increase.

If the base pay rate is raised several times, three instead of two for example, pay may be raised the same as last year or even less, the union said, adding that it strongly objects to any deferred increase model, either multiannual or within a year.