The president of the New Union, Mario Iveković, stated that a dignified wage in Croatia should amount to 2,025 euros net.

He explains that this amount should cover basic living costs, from food, housing, and transport, to children's education, healthcare, and participation in social life, writes portal N1. Croatia is the only country in the European Union that has a constitutional definition of a dignified wage, so the unions are also demanding its official calculation.

Iveković stated that in the last decade a significant shift has been noticeable, because a few years ago the minimum wage covered only 27 percent of the dignified wage, while today it is at the level of almost 40 percent. In neighboring countries, that ratio still ranges between 25 and 30 percent, but unions warn that, despite the progress, this is not enough. Iveković also praised the Government's measures by which minimum wages are being systematically increased and expressed the expectation that the promise of a gross minimum wage of 1,250 euros by the end of the mandate will be fulfilled.

The unions remind that a dignified wage is the result of a calculation based on actual living costs, while the minimum wage is a political decision. "Our wish is for a worker to receive, for 40 hours of work, a wage with which they can cover their costs," Iveković emphasized, adding that the minimum wage should not be taxed. He particularly warned about employer pressure before every wage increase and about their attempt to leave workers with incomes below legal levels through unofficial agreements.

At the press conference, the president of the Independent Trade Union of Workers of Croatia, Marina Palčić, emphasized that a dignified wage should also ensure workers a social life and time for rest. "Workers are being persuaded that a modest life means giving up basic personal needs and participation in social life," she said. She particularly warned about the practice in the retail sector, where employers often enter only the minimum wage into contracts, while the rest is agreed verbally.