The minimum wage in Croatia was 560 euros in 2023, while a living wage, which enables travelling and access to cultural and social activities, requires 1,727 euros, the Novi Sindikat trade union and the Independent Trade Union of Croatia (NSRH) warned on Wednesday.

“Since the data quickly becomes outdated, we have made an update for the year 2023 by adding inflation for each year to the original amounts from 2018. The calculation thus showed that the living wage in Croatia for 2023 is 1,727 euros, while the minimum wage is 560 euros net,” said the president of Novi Sindikat, Mario Ivekovic, at a press conference on the occasion of Living Wage Day.

Ivekovic warned that the ratio is still the same as in 2018, the minimum wage for employees is three times lower than the living wage.

For the first time, Living Wage Day was marked in 30 countries around the world, including Croatia. The day was organised by the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC), an international network that fights for the rights of workers in the textile industry. The same network has calculated a living wage using a methodology that prioritises workers and their costs, especially food costs.

Croatian workers cannot even afford a short holiday in their own country

“However, it should be noted that we did not take into account the increase in food costs when updating the data. This requires new field research, which Novi Sindikat will carry out. In the next three years, a study of the working and living conditions of textile workers in six countries is also planned, which has already begun in Croatia,” said the president of Novi Sindikat.

A living wage is not only about survival, but also about the possibility for the worker and his family to travel and have access to cultural and social activities, said NSRH President Marina Palcic.

The minimum wage for employees is three times lower than the living wage

“Every tourist season we have the opportunity to see visitors from all over the world in our country, people who are workers in their home countries, but who can afford a holiday for themselves and their families on our beautiful coast and in our cities. At the same time, our workers can not even afford a short holiday in their own country,” she said.

A cycle that benefits everyone

The unions pointed out that a living wage is guaranteed by Article 56 of the Constitution, which states that “every worker is entitled to a remuneration that enables him to live freely and adequately for himself and his family”, but this is not being honoured, especially in the textile industry, where workers are paid a minimum wage.

The calculation showed that the living wage in Croatia for 2023 is 1,727 euros, while the minimum wage is 560 euros net

By ensuring a living wage, we strengthen our economy. When people have more money, they spend it in local communities, in restaurants, shops, travelling around the country. It’s a cycle that benefits everyone,” said Palcic.