ZAGREB, CROATIA – Because of the Croatian government’s decision to cut salaries and the cancellation of collective agreements for civil servants, unions should mobilise its membership and prepare to fight for a fairer Croatia in which those employed in the education system will no longer be underpaid and in a humiliating position, said Zeljko Stipic, the head of the “Preporod” union of education employees. 

The government has shown its true colours with its decision to curb public spending by taking it out on state and public employees – it is taking where it can, without any interest in any arguments, Stipic said at a news conference.

Education should be exempt from salary cuts 

School staff got lower salaries than average salaries in the country anyway. Will a teacher-beginner with a salary less than 4,000 kuna save the budget with his 250 kuna? We all know he will not, Stipic said, adding that because of being underpaid, the school system should be exempt from salary cuts.

With the annulment of the three collective agreements, an employee near retirement could cumulatively lose as much as 300,000 kuna annually due to the non-payment of jubilee awards, reimbursements, Christmas bonuses, gifts for children, daily fees, compensations for overtime and holidays, etc, Stipic said.

Mass protests on Labour Day 

As salaries are being cut, there is increasing free work in the education system, like never before, Stipic said, stressing that next week pupils are to take national examinations, which is additional work that will, of course, not be paid.

Because of all this, unions must prepare for protests and a strike, for which they will use the marking of Labour Day, May 1.

The Preporod union will forward the initiative to its headquarters, the Independent Croatian Unions, that the International Labour Day be used for mass protests in all larger towns and cities, which will be headed by education employees, Stipic said.