BRATISLAVA, October 13, (WEBNOVINY) — The minimum wage in Slovakia will increase to EUR 317 as of next year. On Wednesday, the Cabinet of Prime Minister Iveta Radicova gave a go ahead to the three percent increase in the minimum wage. Leaders of four governing coalition parties agreed on the rise despite employers‘ strong disapproval and protests of representatives of self-governments on Monday. The Cabinet was to debate the proposal already last week. The Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Family submitted the proposal to increase the minimum wage by three percent from the current EUR 307.7 to EUR 317. Labor Minister Jozef Mihal admitted at that time that the proposal does not have to be definite, and the final decision was in the hands of the Cabinet.
Traditionally, employers rejected the proposal, claiming that every single increase in the minimum wage threatens jobs. They demanded zero growth. In contrast, unions do not share the opinion that the minimum wage growth might cause serious problems with unemployment.
The Labor Ministry proposed the increase in line with the law on the minimum wage, that says that if social partners fail to agree on the amount of the minimum wage, the ministry has to propose an increase by the same percentage at which the average wage in the economy rose in 2009.
SITA