PHOTO: Podravka Group (podravkagrupa.com)

The management boards of the leading domestic food and pharmaceutical companies, Podravka and Belupo, have successfully concluded another round of negotiations with workers' representatives, resulting in the signing of new amendments to the Collective Agreement.

After a constructive dialogue with the negotiating teams of the representative unions, which include the PPDIV Union, the Independent Union of Podravka, and the Union of Workers of the Podravka Group, an agreement was reached that brings increased material rights to thousands of employees. This new financial package, aimed at improving workers' standards, officially enters into force on the first day of 2026.

The most important news for around four thousand one hundred employees of these companies concerns the increase in the basic gross salary, which will rise by 4.5%. When this percentage is translated into concrete figures, it means that workers will see an average increase of around 70 euros in gross amount on their payslips.

It is important to explain in simple terms that this increase does not mean only a one-time rise in fixed salary, but that it has a multiplicative effect on total earnings. Namely, since the basic contracted salary is increasing, the basis for calculating all other salary supplements also automatically increases, so workers will also receive higher amounts for years of service, as well as increased compensation for shift work. In addition to caring for regular income, the company has also shown social sensitivity toward the families of its employees through this agreement, significantly increasing support for newborn children, which will now amount to one thousand five hundred euros.

This move represents a continuation of the continuous policy of investing in human resources, as confirmed by Podravka Management Board President Martina Dalić. When formalizing the agreement, she pointed out that this is already the seventh salary increase in the last four years, with the aim of ensuring a better and safer working environment for all employees. The data show that since 2021, the average salary in the group has increased by more than sixty-five percent, which is a significant jump in earnings. Although the company leader realistically assessed that such a strong growth trend will probably not be able to continue at the same rates in the future, she clearly stated that improving the material status of workers remains one of the key business goals.

Satisfaction with the achieved compromise and the results of the negotiations was also expressed by union representatives, emphasizing the importance of social dialogue. On behalf of the union negotiators, PPDIV Union President Denis Paradiš said that the continuous growth of salaries in Podravka and Belupo confirms that an open and partnership-based relationship between employer and workers brings sustainable and tangible results. The unions believe that through joint efforts they have also managed to resolve a number of other issues that had been pending for years, thereby further strengthening mutual trust. In conclusion, this negotiation process has shown that in a constructive atmosphere, a better future can be built for employees while at the same time strengthening the overall success of the companies in the market.