The government on Thursday decided to abolish supplements of 3,5,7 and 9 percent to salaries of primary and secondary school teachers as of 1 August, with Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic and Education Minister Zeljko Jovanovic apologising to employees in primary and secondary schools over being forced to opt for this solution after their trade unions rejected amendments to the Basic Collective Agreement for the public sector.
The government wanted to save two billion kuna through the revocation of material entitlements such as transport allowances, reduced cash grants, Christmas bonuses, which should be regulated by an amended Basic Collective Agreement, however, four trade unions representing primary school teachers, secondary school teachers, university lecturers and scholars, and nurses insisted on the retroactive payment of those allowances upon the country's recovery from the crisis. The government could not promise the retroactive payment, which was why those four unions refused the annex to the Basic Collective Agreement, which forced the government to annul the above-mentioned supplements.
PM Milanovic said that "some trade unions have been too tough" in the negotiations and called on them to accept the reality and change their position, as the government had to make economies in the wage budget.
The regulation on paying the bonuses of 3,5,7 and 9 percent to salaries of primary and secondary school teachers was adopted in December 2002, and was applicable in 2003 and 2004, however this regulation is no longer in effect, according to the government's explanation.
This reduction will save HRK 183 million in the remainder of 2012.
Teachers' monthly take-home pay will decrease by between HRK 120 and HRK 600.
