Serbian unions want 10 percent higher minimum wage

N1

Serbia’s unions will not accept a rise of the minimum wage of less than 10 percent but the Employers Union wants compensation from the government in return for its support, union officials told N1.

Zoran Stojiljkovic of the Nezavisnost branch unions confirmed that a 10 percent rise in the minimum wage was the least the unions would agree to which would bring the minimum hourly wage from the current 143 Dinars to 167 Dinars (1 Euro – 119 Dinars). “The measure is 36,000 Dinars – the minimum for the monthly consumer basket. No one should work for less than 300 Euros a month,” he said, adding that the unions want the average salary to rise to 600 or 700 Euros a month over the next three years.  

According to the union official, that would help stop the brain drain of 50,000 people a year.  

Serbian Employers Union official Nebojsa Atanackovic said the minimum wage has to be set in line with the capacities of the economy which is not great at present. He said employers are proposing a rise of 5 percent which would not burden the economy.  

“We have to relieve the burden on the economy to achieve growth of 6-7 percent and that is up to the state. We want higher salaries which would bring higher turnover and profits but how is the economy going to cover a rise of 15 percent if the economy sees a growth of 4 percent,” Atanackovic said, adding that employers will accept the 10 percent rise if the government does.

The government’s Socio-Economic Council will set the new level of the minimum wage at a September 15 session after discussing proposals with employers and unions on September 10.