MINIMUM GROWS FASTER THAN GDP: PM and ministers with representatives of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Serbia

The growth of the minimum wage in Serbia this year will be much higher than the growth of GDP, and a large part of the costs will be borne by the state by reducing taxes, in order to provide salaries to those who are least paid. We care about workers and salary increases, which we have shown through three aid packages of eight billion euros, said Prime Minister Ana Brnabić after the first in a series of meetings between government representatives and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Serbia.

– The minimum wage will now “exceed” 35,000 dinars, which was a noun of thought five or six years ago – she pointed out.

Prime Minister Brnabić emphasized that she would like to continue with such meetings in order to solve problems more easily in the future.

– It is difficult to correct all the curves of the Drina from the past in order for wages to reach a decent level, then go through two or three more years of fiscal consolidation, create new jobs, but we are going in the right direction – said the Prime Minister. – There are many more problems. It is encouraging that we have a continuous increase in salaries, and with the budget proposal for 2022, a minimum growth of 9.4 percent.

The conclusion of Ljubisav Orbović, the president of the SSSS, is that they came to joint statements, but never to an agreement.

– We are ready to continue the talks and solve the problems that currently exist – Orbović pointed out. – One of the biggest is the minimum wage. This year we participated in the negotiations, but we did not negotiate. This is completely unacceptable for us in the future.

He emphasized that salaries in the public sector should also be discussed, and the issue of importance for them is the real sector where there is great harassment of workers, bans on trade union organization, dismissals, which is not acceptable for trade unions.

WE GIVE OUR BEST

WHEN it comes to increasing salaries in the public sector, Brnabić pointed out that even the Fiscal Council said that it was done conservatively in order to reduce the budget deficit.

– The fact that from August 2014 until today, without a new increase, salaries in the public sector are more than 42 percent, and in real terms 52 percent, shows that we are doing our best – said the Prime Minister.