The minimum wage in Slovakia is expected to rise from the current €405 to €435 in 2017. In light of the fact that representatives of employers and employees failed to arrive at an agreement regarding the sum once again, the figure was proposed by the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family at the tripartite's extraordinary session held in Bratislava on Tuesday. If the proposed sum is greenlighted by the Government, the minimum wage in 2017 would equal 52 percent of the average net wage in Slovakia.
"It's 51 percent this year, meaning that we're talking about a hike of one percent... At any rate, this would have a positive impact on minimum wage earners as well as parents, provided that one of the parents is employed. It's necessary to increase the minimum wage continuously in order to make work in Slovakia appealing (to workers)," Labour Minister Jan Richter (Smer-SD) said. With their proposal of a €430 minimum wage, employers came quite close to the position of labour unionists, who proposed a minimum wage of €442. The proposals had foundation in the statements by Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD), according to whom the minimum wage is likely to climb to €500 within the next four years.
"It was a generous proposal and we feel sad about the failure to reach agreement with the social partners. This doesn't send a good signal for the future," said Association of Employers Union (AZZZ) vice-president Rastislav Machunka, who would like to see a different mechanism or the introduction of a valorisation system in order to curb the annual negotiations on minimum wage to a degree in the future.
"We're really sorry. We were very close to an agreement this year, but we were close mostly because the employers came closer to the proposal sponsored by the unionists," stressed the president of the Republican Union of Employers (RUZ) Miroslav Kiralvarga.
The Confederation of Labour Unions (KOZ) agreed with the motion tabled by the Labour Ministry, although with minor objections. "Every single hike of the minimum wage is acceptable for unions; even the sum of €435, even though it didn't really meet our expectations, since our position was €442. I'm also very sorry that we haven't found agreement with the employers. Just as we could have acceded to €430, the employers could have also accepted €442. Both sides have remained discontent. I'm not really convinced that minimum wage ensures a dignified life, however," said KOZ president Jozef Kollár. The Towns and Villages Association (ZMOS) agreed with the minimum wage proposal.
