MP Katarina Peovic of the minor left-wing party Workers' Front (RF) on Tuesday "described amendments to the Minimum Wage Act proposed by Labour Minister Josip Aladrovic with a sentence from the Alan Ford comic book series, 'We promise nothing and we fulfill it,' noting that the amendments would not make much difference," state agency Hina reported, referring to a new bill which should raise the mandatory minimum salary.

Peovic said that she expected a regulation put forward by Aladrovic to increase the minimum wage by about a couple of hundred kuna, which would be in line with what the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) had promised and make the minimum wage account for 60% of the median wage, which, she said, was insufficient for a decent wage.

“On 29 October the Sabor is expected to adopt amendments to the Minimum Wage Act that will not define the minimum wage as a decent wage,” Peovic warned at a press conference, adding that Aladrovic was introducing new possibilities for employers who wish to pay a wage below the minimum wage, justifying this by saying that it was possible if so agreed to under the collective agreement.

Hina did not report what would constitute a “decent wage” for Peovic.

New Union leader Mario Ivekovic believes that the constitutional category of decent wage should be incorporated in the Minimum Wage Act.

We propose that the minimum wage be tied to a decent wage, Ivekovic underlined, noting that the incumbent law does not define any criteria for that and the minimum wage was determined by an ad hoc government decision, without taking the stances of the social partners into account.

Hina did not report what would constitute a “decent wage” for Ivekovic.