On Wednesday, the third day of the strike by the union of diagnostic, laboratory, radiology and ambulance staff demanding higher wages, union president Krunoslav Kusec said that the industrial action will continue until they receive a concrete date for the fulfilment of their demands.

Kusec, the chairman of the Zajedno (Together) union, told Croatian news agency Hina that this does not have to be immediate, but that they insist on receiving a concrete date. As soon as they are informed of this exact time frame, they are ready to end the strike, he said.

Demands for an increase in basic salaries of at least 20%

The striking union members are demanding a basic salary increase of at least 20% and a change to the salary coefficient scheme, as well as the reintroduction of meal allowances.

Regarding the salary coefficients, Labour Minister Marin Piletic said on Tuesday that the commission responsible for monitoring and improving the salary system in the public sector deals with this issue twice a year and will meet in a fortnight.

“We cannot involve the commission once a week to change the coefficients. With the support of the trade unions and the World Bank Council, we have already described and upgraded jobs in the public sector,” Piletic told the press after the Economic and Social Council meeting on Tuesday.

Kusec and the Ministry have again presented different figures on strike participation.