Czech-Slovak tripartite discussed the minimum wage

Next, there could be a meeting of four Visegrad member countries on tripartite.



The functioning of the social dialogue and the minimum wage have been the key topics at the first common Czech and Slovak tripartite meeting held in the Slovak capital Bratislava on Monday 7th September.

„A strong topic has been the functioning of national tripartites as well as the minimum wage," the Confederation of Industry's president Jaroslav Hanák stated.

Another theme at the meeting has been the introduction of cash registers, often discussed in the Czech Republic. The Slovak participants in the tripartite discussion said that the cash registers brought 2,9 billion euros savings into the Slovak state budget.

Next, there could be a tripartite meeting of Czech, Slovak, Polish and Hungarian participants, organized within the Visegrad group of Central and Eastern European countries.

The idea of cash registers is supported by the Confederation of Industry, unlike the, in its opinion, too quick rise of the minimum wage proposed by the Czech government.

From 1st January 2016, the monthly minimum wage will be raised from 9200 CZK (340 euros) to 9900 CZK (367 euros), so the per hour minimum wage will amount to 58,70 CZK (2,17 euros). The Confederation want that the minimum wage will be increased every year accordingly to the actual condition of the Czech economy.

In Slovakia, the minimum wage makes up 380 euros. Within the EU, only Bulgaria, Romania and Lithuania have a lower minimum wage than the Czech Republic.

The Czech government of the social-democrat prime minister Bohuslav Sobotka and the center-right ANO movement of the finance minister Andrej Babiš wants that the minimum wage makes, in 2020, 40 percent of the average wage. In 2014, it was 33,1 percent.

If the minimum salary that is drawn by 2,3 percent of the employees will be raised by 700 CZK (26 euros) every year, it will amount to 38,1 percent of the average wage in 2020.

One of the Confederation's main arguments against the too quick rise of the minimum wage is that it will, in a negative way, influence the competitiveness of small and medium sized companies where a system of so-called guaranteed wage accordingly to the job's complexity, laboriousness and responsibility level has been introduced.

section Tripartite
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