The annex allowing a 100% compensation of the salary in case of COVID-19 infection was signed by the representatives of trade unions of culture and the authorities.
This extremely important addition to the branch collective agreement provides the employees with 100% salary, which is calculated on the basis of the average salary they earned in 12 months preceding the month when a temporary impediment to work due to the confirmed COVID-19 infection occurred or the isolation/self-isolation measures, ordered in relation to the disease, were taken. All of this in case the disease has appeared as a consequence of a direct exposure to risks related to the performance of work tasks, i.e. to the fulfillment of official duties or to contacts with people whose infection has been confirmed (or who were ordered to be isolated or self-isolated).
The annex to the agreement was signed by the Vice-President of the Government of Serbia and Minister of Culture and Information, Maja Gojković, and the representatives of the Trade Union of Culture of Serbia (member of the CATUS), Sectoral Trade Union of Culture, Art and Media „Nezavisnost“ and sectoral trade union of the Confederation of Free Trade Unions.
The Minister pointed to the fact that the annex secured a full monthly salary to the employees who got infected, which in current circumstances is quite important. „This way we wanted to show clearly that, while making citizens enjoy cultural contents despite the pandemic, we are ready to take our responsibilities and show how much we appreciate the employees’ work and efforts, too”, she said.
Gojković also talked to trade union representatives about the measures taken by the Crisis Headquarters, while the unionists, for their part, supported her idea to have a representative of the Ministry of Culture and Information in the Crisis Headquarters, enabling him/her to interpret the measures taken to those working in different sectors of the artistic creation.