The Free Trade Unions of Slovenia called on the Slovenian government to raise the salaries of health workers, employees in the stores, cleaners, security guards, bakers, journalists, soldiers, police officers and all other professions who have to work for the public welfare, before worrying about their own salaries. The government was called on to take care of the self-employed, to ensure the health protection in all the factories and provide adequate protective equipment.
“At the moment when every last one of us in Slovenia fear for tomorrow; in the moment when each of us gives up something (all of us also gave up a part of our personal freedom) to fight together for a better tomorrow, you divide us onto first-class and second-class citizens,” said Lidija Jerkič, the president of Free Trade Unions of Slovenia when commenting on the government’s decision to rise their own salaries.
Exposed workers to receive an allowance for work in high-risk situations
The Negotiating Group of the Representative Trade Unions of Slovenia is also against the government’s move. They do not deny the fact that current circumstances require hard work from the members of the government and their closest associates, even greater responsibility and more difficult decisions than usual, but they stressed that raising wages in times of great uncertainty for many companies and workers is not appropriate.
The Negotiating Group reminded the government to enforce the 11th indent of the first paragraph of Article 39 of the Collective Agreement, which dictates the allowance for work in risky situations for the exposed workers. They also expect that compensation for force majeure, for both public and private sector employees, will be raised from 50 percent to at least 80 percent of a pay, and that appropriate intervention measures will be taken to help the self-employed to prevent their foregone earnings and ensure access to social security rights.
Trade Union of Police Officers also being critical
The Trade Union of Police Officers, where they have been fighting for the regulation of the police profession status for over ten years now and are always told that “there are simply no founds”, also do not agree with the government’s decision. Their comment on the government’s move is “distasteful and irresponsible”.
“We – the police officers who have been overwhelmed by the crisis over many years now – cannot accept the government’s justification by arguing that government officials are ‘double-burdened’ during the epidemic and therefore deserve a higher pay,” they wrote. They added that while during the difficult period of the epidemic, where they are exposed to additional danger at work, the police officers do not think about congestion and pay, but follow their mission.
Source: STA, primorske.si
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