The platform which the Ministry of Finance offered to trade unions of healthcare employees and social workers is unacceptable for the Trade Union of Health and Social Care Workers of Serbia 'Nezavisnost' (GSZSZ Nezavisnost) because it does not state clearly how much the sectors' salaries would increase, the GSZSZ Nezavisnost released on Thursday.

The release also states that the government only said there is a possibility for implementing a 7.1 per cent salary raise in case budget revenues increase according to the plans. In case the increase of budget revenues exceeds the plans, salaries in healthcare and social protection sector could rise by another 6.1 per cent, which would increase the total sum of the salary raise up to 13.6 per cent.

Such a platform does not guarantee that the offered salary raise would indeed come true, the release states.

“No matter how high, a temporary salary raise will not solve the situation in the healthcare sector unless other problems are solved too,” the GSZSZ stated in the release, adding that trade union's representatives will adopt a final decision at the meeting of the union's Steering Committee only after the GSZSZ Nezavisnost receives a copy of the official protocol.

President of the Health and Social Protection Employees Union of Serbia (SZZSZS) Branislava Plancak told Tanjug that trade unions expect the draft protocol on salary raise to be delivered to them on Friday or early in the next week, after which SZZSZS representatives should meet and decide whether to accept it or not.

Representatives of the Trade Union of Nurses and Medical Technicians of Serbia (SMSTS) also attended the Wednesday talks at the Finance Ministry. SMSTS representatives expressed satisfaction with the talks and the proposal regarding the 13.6 per cent increase in 2011.