Social Partners Agree for First Time Ever on Minimum Wage - at €700 a Month

Bratislava, July 14 (TASR) – Employers, trade unions and local government representatives have agreed for the first time ever to increase the minimum wage at a single rate – from the current €646 to €700 per month next year, the social partners announced at a joint press conference on Thursday.

This will mean that the automaton for increasing the minimum wage stipulated by the law won’t apply.

“All the social partners agreed that in the current situation the level of the minimum wage must take into account possible negative impacts on employees and households but at the same time take into consideration the unfavourable business environment and respect the real opportunities of Slovak employees,” reads a joint statement of representatives of the Republican Union of Employers (RUZ), the Association of Employers Unions (AZZZ), the Association of Industrial Unions and Transport (APZD), the Slovak Towns and Villages Association (ZMOS) and representatives of employees associated with the Trade Union Confederation (KOZ) and the Slovak Joint Trade Unions.

The tripartite members stressed that the joint proposal to increase the minimum wage to €700 is clear evidence that responsible social dialogue makes sense. “We believe that in this way we’re also sending a clear signal to politicians and the public that a factual discussion, the ability to listen and be open to compromise are what our country needs perhaps most today,” added the social partners.