KOZ Declares Strike Alert, Demands Valorisation of Salaries

Bratislava, July 16 (TASR) - The Trade Union Confederation (KOZ) declared a strike alert, as unionists failed to agree with representatives of the government on the valorisation of salaries in the state and public administration, KOZ President Monika Uhlerova told a news conference on Tuesday, adding that the bargaining will continue. KOZ sent draft higher-level collective agreements for remuneration in the public sector to the government in February. "In addition to standard requirements, we also demanded valorisation of salaries, particularly by 10 percent as of September 1, 2024 and by additional 10 percent as of January 2025. We also took into account the fact that the higher-level collective agreements for state and public servants will expire on August 31, 2024," explained Uhlerova. "We held the second round of collective bargaining today, with the first one held in late April. Agreement between representatives of trade unions and the government failed to be achieved, as the government didn't take into account our demands, chiefly regarding the valorisation of salaries. The government only offered one-off bonuses for 2025 and 2026," stated Uhlerova, adding this is not a systemic solution. Based on this, KOZ declared a strike alert for civil service and public sector employees and it is also preparing other actions. "The declaration of the strike alert doesn't mean the end of negotiations, but it is a warning finger to the government, if it fails to take into account our demands," said Uhlerova. ko/mcs