Over the past three days, 70-90 per cent of members of unions of elementary, secondary, tertiary education and science employees as well as nurses took part in a referendum on the amendments, with 90 per cent voting against them.
The amendments envisage giving up two Christmas bonuses and one cash grant and consenting to a reduction of anniversary awards, per diems and transport compensation. In exchange, the government offers the preservation of salaries and the renewal of negotiations on material rights after Croatia overcomes the economic crisis.
The offer was accepted by unions of government employees, who signed a new four-year collective agreement in August, and four public sector unions - two in health care, one in culture, and one in welfare.
The government has announced that if the unions refused the amendments, it will cancel the basic collective agreement and slash salaries in the public sector by ten per cent. Finance Minister Slavko Linic has recently reiterated that the cuts in costs for public and civil servants envisaged by the end of this year will be made by slashing their wages if necessary.