22.11.2016.
Results of the meeting with the trade union
Defence Minister Zoran Djordjevic and his associates talked today, as he promised, with representatives of the representative Military Trade Union of Serbia about all the problems and requirements they pointed to. At the meeting, they reached an agreement on most of the requests and questions.Speaking about the increase of the salaries of members of the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces, Minister Djordjevic reiterated that early next year, salaries of all the employees will be increased by five percent and that these are now the capabilities of the state, and that the defence system is taking everything in its power to improve the material and social status in the military in other ways.
- My job is to help you in everything and we are on the same side in every way. The point is to understand each other well, to talk openly about all the issues and be unified, Minister Djordjevic said.
Talking about the rulebooks relating to the socio-economic status of employees in the defence system, it was agreed that the new rulebook on salaries will be applicable as of 1st January 2018, and the union representatives have further clarified the provisions for which they pointed out that their application would further reduce the salaries of the employees. On this occasion, Minister Djordjevic stressed that there will be no reduction in salaries or layoffs in the defence system
An agreement was reached regarding the requirements relating to the reform of the Military Medical Academy and Minister Djordjevic reiterated that there will be no downsizing or reduction in number of beds in that establishment. Other requirements pertaining to health care of the professional members, the amount of payments and other things will be governed by the provisions of the Law on Health Care that is being prepared, Djordjevic added.
It was also agreed that a collective agreement, whose preparation and negotiations were proposed by the union representatives, will be discussed from January 2017, by which time all strengths and weaknesses of this way of regulating the employment relationship should be considered.
Talking about business-technical agreement and facilitating smooth trade union action, Minister Djordjevic expressed readiness of the system to meet the requirements in accordance with the possibilities and ordered to check the status of previous requests.
