Serbia: EPSU supports union’s criticisms of pay system

(27 October 2017) On 25 October 2017, EPSU sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Serbia and to the Minister of Public Administration and Local Government. It highlights the concerns of Serbian trade unions organising in health and social care in view of the planned Law on Workers in the Public Sector and a Public Sector Job Classification System. The new classification and system of coefficients, as currently proposed, violates the existing coefficients systems and wages ratio. In addition, the consultations and negotiations so far are organised without the participation of representative trade unions. EPSU underlines that the full involvement of trade unions in the process of wage negotiations and wage determination is at the very heart of social dialogue and effective social partnership. EPSU insofar calls upon the Government of the Republic of Serbia and in particular on the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Government to fully include representative trade unions and their representatives in this ongoing legislative process for them to explain their position and demands and for you to negotiate with them the changes to the job classification and wage coefficient system. EPSU will continue to monitor the legislative process also on the backdrop of the need to bring in line national legislation in Serbia with the EU legislation (acquis communautaire) and in the light of the opening of Chapter 19 “Social policy and employment” of the accession negotiations with Serbia. The relevant information was received by the Trade Union of Health and Social Care of Serbia/Sindikat zaposlenih u zdravstvu i socijalnoj zaštiti Srbije (SZZSZS). For more information see their letter to EPSU of 24 October 2017.

Serbia