Transparency & Corruption, COVID-19, Central government, Slovak Republic, Croatia, Armenia

After lengthy negotiations a new public sector pay structure is in place that means significant increases to the coefficients used to calculate salaries for different occupations. Overall public sector workers are set to benefit on average by 13.5% in comparison to pay levels in 2023. Most unions are generally happy with the new system, including the HSSMS-MT nurses’ and health workers’ union which is one of 11 to sign the public sector collective agreement. However, other unions, including teaching unions, are unhappy with the outcome and argue that the new system fails to deliver appropriate

A proposed new system of public sector pay has been criticised by unions for failing to provide salary coefficients for different occupations that would be a fair reflection their skills, workloads and responsibilities. The HSSMS-MT health workers’ union has called for proper recognition of nurses’ level of education and have made clear that it feels its members have been less fairly treated than doctors who are taken action against the proposals. The SDLSN union has also expressed concern, particularly on behalf of its members in the Ministry of Justice who took strike action last year over

The SDLSN is calling on the government to change the rules on representativeness for civil service pay negotiations. The union is involved in various working groups that are discussing the new pay structure for the public sector but it is concerned that the current rules on representativeness exclude it, and other trade unions, from the formal negotiations. It argues that only the police trade union meets the representativeness criterion for the main negotiations leaving many areas of the civil service without proper trade union representation as the SDLSN and other unions fall below the

The HSSMS-MT healthcare union reports that following the third round of public sector pay negotiations, unions have accepted a pay increase of 5%, an improvement on the 3% offer made in the second round of bargaining. The unions have also secured the €300 Christmas bonus that they were looking for and an Easter bonus of €100, less than they wanted but a €30 improvement on the previous offer. There is also a commitment that, should the new pay system not be in place by 1 March 2024, then negotiations would open for a general pay increase.

The HSSMS-MT health workers’ union reports that in the second round of public sector pay negotiations the government has put forward an offer of a 3% increase along with a €67.73 increase to the Christmas bonus to take it to €300 and a proposed Easter bonus of €70. This contrasts to the initial claim from public sector unions for a 15% pay increase along with bonuses of €300 for both Christmas and Easter along with other bonuses. The government argues that the introduction of a new pay system in 2024 will mean salary increases of 14%. However, the unions argue that the higher increase is

The strike of members of the SDSLN trade union in the Ministry of Justice is over following a close vote to accept the government’s offer of a 12% pay increase. Although below the €400 increase aimed for, the union argues that this is a reasonable increase and goes some way to recognising that workers in the ministry had been undervalued. The SDLSN also notes that it was a significant achievement to maintain the strike and to affirm its legality in the face of legal challenges by the government. The agreement with the government also confirms that the union will be involved in the negotiations

Members of the SDLSN are continuing their all-out action to demand a pay increase for all workers in the Ministry of Justice and they demonstrated their strength of feeling with a major demonstration in Zagreb on 30 June joined by members from across the country. The union continues to highlight the low pay of its members in contrast to their high levels of training, qualifications, responsibilities and heavy workloads. The SDLSN has been calling for improved pay and conditions for workers in the sector for many years.

Members of the SDLSN trade union in the ministry of justice are maintaining their strike that was launched on 5 June. About 5000 employees are involved in the action with the key demand to secure a €400 salary increase and the regulation of collective bargaining for employees in the judicial authorities and the state attorney's office. The union met the Minister of Justice and Administration on 19 June but no agreement was reached and the union is still waiting for an offer from the Ministry. The SDLSN argues that the government needs to respond quickly as services are being affected and a

Around 5000 workers in justice authorities and the state attorney’s office are on strike for higher pay. The action, organised by the SDLSN trade union, is in support of a long-standing demand for a €400 pay increase. The union says that the workers have considerable responsibilities and skills but many are salaries of only €600 a month. Rather than negotiate the government took legal action to try to block the strike, however, the attempt was rejected and the Zagreb court confirmed the legality of the action. EPSU sent a message of solidarity.

The recent campaign of protests by the HSSMS-MT and SSZSSH health unions, “We are health care”, led to a meeting with the government to discuss pay and how to ensure that nurses and other health workers do not lose out in comparison to doctors and other health professionals. The government’s promise that a new pay agreement in 2024 would resolve the issue was not enough to convince the unions who said that they cannot wait until next year to see progress. Further negotiations are now planned. Meanwhile, the SDLSN trade union has called for mediation over its claim for a €400 pay increase for

Public service trade unions, including SDLSN and HSMSS-MT, have expressed major concerns at the attempt by the government to rush to set up a new pay system covering the 240,000 workers in the public sector. The unions argue that there are many factors at play covering different groups of workers that make it impossible to complete negotiations by the end of June. The government says that the changes are needed as part of the reforms required by the European Union for Croatia to access funds from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. The unions are worried that legislation will be put

The KOZ trade union confederation reports that collective agreements for state and public service workers have been negotiated for the period 1.1.2023-31.8.2024. Basic salary scales will increase by 7% from 1 January 2023 and by a further 10% from 1 September 2023. Amendments to higher-level collective agreements for 2022 provide civil and public servants with a one-off payment of €500 in August. Pay increases for health workers are still being negotiated. The latest collective agreements also include a range of social benefits, not least a reduction of working time for public employees

Following the large demonstration in October in support of a pay rise for public service workers, unions are angry and disappointed that the government has failed to respond. Marián Magdoška, president of the KOZ trade union confederation said that unions were presented with the budget for 2022 a day before a tripartite meeting and realised that, despite promises from last year, it didn’t include any provisions to cover even a pay rise to compensate for inflation. The health union is also angry that in negotiations at the end of October the government was effectively blackmailing unions by

The KOZ trade union confederation organised a national demonstration in Bratislava on 27 October in support of the 13% pay claim by public service trade unions. The government has not offered any pay rise at all for 2022 and the unions are looking to ensure that workers are compensated for inflation, as energy and other prices soar, and for recent years when pay in the public sector has lagged behind increases in the minimum wage. KOZ also used the demonstration to draw attention to the impact of prices rises across the economy and to call for increases in pensions and other social benefits.