Science, Education and Youth Minister Radovan Fuchs said on Monday that talks with the trade unions on a sectoral collective agreement for the science and education sector will begin next week, after the government has officially appointed the negotiating teams.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Faculty of Law Day event in Zagreb, the minister said that the negotiation process is proceeding as planned and that the ministry is taking the necessary steps.

Fuchs was answering questions from reporters who asked him about the dissatisfaction of the Preporod school employees’ union, which has announced that it will go on strike if negotiations on a sectoral collective agreement for primary and secondary school employees do not start by 5 November.

In response, he said that Preporod “usually” announces strikes and that the ministry does not comment defensively on their announcements.

After the negotiating teams are formed, the state secretaries will invite union representatives to a preparatory meeting to lay the groundwork for the start of negotiations, he said.