Croatian Educators Set for Strike Over Pay Dispute

The news in Croatian

1. planirati
   osmisliti tijek aktivnosti unaprijed ↩︎
2. neuspješan
   bez postizanja željenog cilja ↩︎
3. pregovor (m.)
   razgovor između strana radi postizanja dogovora ↩︎
4. sindikat (m.)
   organizacija za zastupanje radnika ↩︎
5. povećanje (n.)
   proces povećavanja veličine ili količine ↩︎
6. povećanje (n.)
   proces povećavanja veličine ili količine ↩︎
7. podijeljen
   imati različita mišljenja unutar grupe ↩︎

Translation

Text Comprehension

Question: Why are Croatian teachers planning to strike?

Question: What is the government’s offer to the teachers regarding pay increase?

Vocabulary

Croatian	English
planirati	plan
neuspješan	unsuccessful
pregovor (m.)	negotiation
sindikat (m.)	trade union
povećanje (n.)	increase
podijeljen	divided

Read the full story

The discussions began after the government and unions failed to agree on demands for a 10% salary increase, enhancement of pay coefficients, and additional allowances for educators. While the government showed willingness to delay the introduction of modular education in vocational schools—a demand put forth by the unions—other requests remain unmet.

Sindikati leaders voiced their frustrations, highlighting that despite two and a half hours of negotiation, no concrete guarantees or deadlines were offered for their proposals. This lack of resolution has pushed unions to consider not just a single strike but a series of actions to press their demands more forcefully.

The impasse has drawn broader public attention to salary discrepancies within Croatia’s public sector. Union representatives argue that educators’ pay significantly lags behind other governmental positions, such as ministerial secretaries, whose salaries can be substantially higher. A public poll conducted by local media revealed mixed awareness among citizens about the pay rankings for various public roles, with many expressing that educators are undervalued financially.

On the government side, Minister of Education Radovan Fuchs contends that public sector roles are incomparable and emphasizes potential career advancements available to teachers. Fuchs insists that the government’s proposal of a base salary increase of 3% in December is appropriate given budgetary constraints.

As tensions mount, Croatian society remains divided on the issue, with many supporting educators’ claims for fair compensation while others urge fiscal prudence. The coming weeks will likely see further developments as unions finalize their strategy and the government considers its response.

Ensuring that any lost instructional time is accounted for, Minister Fuchs reassured parents and students that missed classes will be rescheduled. This guarantees that educational standards will be maintained, even amidst ongoing disruptions.

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