After months of tough talks, the Slovenian government and trade unions in the public sector have reached an agreement under which wages in the public sector will be adjusted to 80% of this year’s inflation rate next year, a deal that would temporarily avert a looming showdown with the country’s powerful unions.
To come into force, the deal still needs endorsement from the government and relevant trade union bodies, which is expected to happen after the New Year’s festivities.
The deal will cost roughly €160 million, though Finance Minister Klemen Boštjančič warned that the exact amount would only be calculated once annual inflation figures are in, which is in about ten days.
Both sides believe the agreement bodes well for much tougher talks on wage reform, which will resume after the New Year.
The talks had been stalled by the resignation of the government’s chief negotiator in early October and the massive floods in August, which diverted attention from flood relief efforts.
By signing the agreement, the unions agree not to take any strike action over the agreement until 13 September 2024.
The commitment will not apply if the government agrees to pay raises to any group of civil servants or public officials before that date.
This could prove difficult for the government as the Doctors and Dentists Union has announced a one-day strike on 9 January, to be followed by a general strike from 15 January, unless their demands are met, including a pay rise for senior doctors.
Meanwhile, judges and prosecutors plan to hold protest rallies and even a strike unless their salaries are increased by 4 January as decreed by the Constitutional Court.
(Ela Petrovčič | sta.si)
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