Leaders of two medical and non-medical staff unions on Friday refused to discuss their demands with Health Ministry representatives, who, they said, do not make decisions and demanded to be received by Minister Vili Beros next week.

Unionist Stjepan Topolnjak said they demanded to be received either by Beros or the ministry’s state secretary, and that they would not meet with the ministry’s legal department because it could not make any decisions without the minister.

If Beros does not receive us next week, “he should openly say that he does not need in the system non-medical staff whose pay indices he won’t raise,” Topolnjak said.

Unionist Anica Prasnjak said they wanted to hear who was responsible for the health administration’s silence about their demands.

The two unions brought together outside the ministry about 50 of their members from across the country because the branch collective agreement is not being honoured and the issue of pay indices for nurses and non-medical staff remains unresolved.

The rally was prompted by yesterday’s postponement of a debate on the branch collective agreement, which expires late in March.

Nurses and non-medical staff demand to be given back a 3% supplement revoked during the 2011-16 Zoran Milanovic cabinet, as well as better working conditions and higher pay indices.

Prasnjak said that if Beros did not ask them to a meeting next week, the unions would consider “stronger pressure, even a strike if collective negotiations are not launched.”