A salary that can cover housing, quality food, and other living needs, while still leaving something for savings, should exceed 3,000 euros per month in Croatia.

This is shown by preliminary research presented at the New Trade Union conference in Zagreb, while union representatives warn that Croatia still does not have an official calculation of a living wage. The data was published by the New Trade Union.

What should this salary be able to cover?

A living wage should enable a worker to live decently from their work and support a family. According to the explanation of New Trade Union president Mario Iveković, this includes having housing secured, quality nutrition, basic needs covered, and the possibility of saving part of the money.

Such a calculation starts from the cost of living. The question is how much money a worker needs to cover their needs, and not just how much the employer is currently paying them.

About 373 euros just for healthy food

The research created a monthly menu based on an intake of 2,950 calories per day. Then the necessary food items were determined and their prices checked in about ten larger and smaller stores, at markets, and with small agricultural producers.

According to that calculation, healthy food for 1 person should cost about 373 euros per month. That is only the food-related part of the costs. The preliminary calculation of a living wage, which takes total living needs into account, exceeds 3,000 euros.

The amount is not yet final

The published figure is for now the result of preliminary research. The New Trade Union states that the final calculation of the European living wage will be known after research in several more European countries and the completion of further calculations.

The reports do not explicitly state whether the amount greater than 3,000 euros refers to net or gross salary, nor is it explained in detail what kind of household it was calculated for. Therefore, for now this figure should be read as a presented estimate, not as a final established amount needed by every individual.

Why does higher profit not necessarily mean higher pay?

The union sees part of the problem in how the money companies earn is distributed, writes N1. Iveković believes that some employers have room to increase workers' wages, but give priority to high incomes and management bonuses.

He also warns about the position of workers in the textile industry. A worker may produce a lot, but if a major brand imposes a very low purchase price on the supplier, the room for wage increases in production remains limited. According to that explanation, a worker’s greater output in itself does not guarantee that more money will land in their account at the end of the month.

The Ministry warns of sharp growth, the union seeks a clear goal

Labor Ministry representative Anita Zirdum warned that a sudden and excessively large increase in wages could disrupt the market, writes N1. She also stated that the state and local communities can make life easier for citizens by reducing certain costs, for example through public transport, textbooks, and other forms of assistance.

Iveković responded that no one expects salaries of 3,000 euros as soon as tomorrow. The union is asking that it first be determined how much a decent life costs, so that there is a clear goal toward which wages should grow.

The final calculation will therefore be important for both workers and employers. It should show which costs a salary must cover and how far current incomes lag behind them. Only then will the debate about whether wages are high enough have a more concrete basis than the impression that 3,000 euros is too much for some and unattainable for others.