Finance Minister Zdravko Maric said on Friday, after negotiations with public sectors unions, that they had agreed on a HRK 1,500 Christmas bonus and a previously agreed 4% base pay rise.

Speaking to the press, Maric said the money for the Christmas bonus had been ensured and that the money for the base pay rise as of January 1 would have to be ensured in the 2021 budget.

The 4% base pay rise will increase the wage budget by HRK 1.2 billion annually, he added.

Labour Minister Josip Aladrovic said that with today’s agreement, the government had kept its promises from May and June.

“Increasing base pay by 4%, paying a Christmas bonus, and the agreements with police and teachers will also be fulfilled,” he said, adding that “the fiscal capacities are limited but in some way we will ensure the funds to keep our previous commitments.”

Aladrovic said the issue of new collective agreements and a basic collective agreement for the next four years would be addressed in the second half of 2021.

The president of the Police Union, Dubravko Jagic, said the government complied with what it had agreed in June and that state administration unions were satisfied with the Christmas bonus and the base pay rise.

Zeljko Stipic, leader of the Preporod school staff union, said the government agreed to what it had committed to. “We are not surprised. The government simply showed that it stood behind its signature and I think it’s time we all started acting like that.”

“There are difficulties for next year, but we were firm that we couldn’t prolong further what had been prolonged already. What we fought for with our strike in the education system… will be realised,” said Sanja Sprem of the Croatian Teachers’ Union.

The president of the Croatian Physicians Union, Renata Culinovic Cacic, said they confirmed at today’s meeting the agreement signed in the spring, which healthcare and welfare workers did not sign at the time, considering it unacceptable in the conditions at that time.

She said she expected the government to invite the healthcare unions to talks on how to thank the people working in hospitals in difficult conditions.

Stjepan Topolnjak, president of the Independent Healthcare and Social Welfare Union, said they expected Health Minister Vili Beros and the government to finally honour the Supreme Court ruling on the payment of overtime. “The Andrej Plenkovic cabinet is still finding ways to avoid that, but we hope we will resolve that too to the satisfaction of workers.”