Slovak workers demanding more; factories forced to increase salaries

Factories in Slovakia are being forced to increase salaries, as Slovak workers are no longer willing to stand behind an assembly line with only a few seconds to adjust a product and some 20 minutes for lunch just to receive a low salary, the Pravda daily reported on Tuesday. Employers were able to offer such working conditions at times when crowds of unemployed people stood before the companies looking for work. However, with unemployment dropping below the 9-percent threshold and job offers increasing, the situation has changed. Concerning blue-collar jobs, increased pressure for salary hikes is being observed in factories across Slovakia. The salaries of blue-collar workers grew at their fastest pace in 2016. According to an analysis by the website platy.sk, the average basic salary for the blue-collar worker increased by 6 percent to €652 last year, the largest growth seen over the past six years.