Labour and Pension System Mirando Mrsic reminded the government that negotiations on amendments to the collective agreement for civil servants were concluded on December 10 with the signing of an appendix stipulating that civil servants would not receive Christmas bonuses and cash grants next year.
Mrsic said this measure was necessary to ensure the fiscal sustainability of public services.
With today's decision, the government expects to save HRK 350 million.
The government also adopted decisions to cancel collective agreements for science and tertiary education and for employees in elementary and secondary schools.
Science and Education Minister Zeljko Jovanovic said the government proposed the cancellation because a conciliation process over the announced cancellation, held on December 23, failed.
He said his ministry's budget, since 2011, had always been increased by amending the state budget, notably for salary expenditures, even when the overall budget was slashed. He recalled that the pay rate for teachers was raised by six per cent, while being reduced by three for all other public sector employees.
He said it had therefore been necessary to negotiate changes to the collective agreements but that the unions had turned down the government's proposals.
Jovanovic said that as of Monday, the government was willing to begin negotiations on new collective agreements with the unions.
At the closed-door part of today's session, the government appointed Justice Minister Orsat Miljenic president of the Council for Cooperation with International Criminal and Other Courts.
(EUR 1 = HRK 7.6)