After the Statistical Office has declared prices and the value of the minimum consumer basket for January, Confederation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Serbia will ask the Social-Economic Council (SEC) to negotiate again about the increase of the minimum wage for this year.
CATUS Council Secretary, Zoran Mihajlović told the agency Beta that in December it was agreed with the Prime Minister, Ana Brnabić to reinitiate the talks on the minimum wage at the beginning of the following year. In December minimum consumer basket cost more than 50,000 dinars (427EUR) and already at that point it surpassed this year’s minimum wage, which amounts to a bit over 40,000 dinars (341EUR). This means that in December minimum wage could not keep up with the value of the minimum consumer basket.
He added that workers didn’t even detect salary increase as it was suppressed by the inflation and the situation would get even worse after January electricity and gas bills became more expensive.
According to the TUC NEZAVISNOST President Čedanka Andrić, new correction of the minimum wage is trade union’s old demand, which was announced last year. Andrić explained that the previous year minimum consumer basket cost 50,000 dinars (427EUR) while the minimum wage amounted to 35,000 dinars (299EUR).
Workers in public utility companies, judiciary, education and culture institutions earning minimum wage are among the most affected. Therefore, TUC NEZAVISNOST has asked for the increase of 25%, instead of 12.5%. Andrić also pointed out that minimum wage needed to be increased in the private sector, as well.
As last September the consensus on the amount of the minimum wage wasn’t reached with trade unions and employers, the Government of Serbia determined it to be 40,020 dinars (342 EUR). Labour Law envisages this course of action if the consensus with social partners hasn’t been reached.
