January 22, 2018
The STA reports January 22, 2018, that Prime Minister Miro Cerar rejected predictions that the announced public-sector strikes would cause chaos across the country, as he responded to a question by unaffiliated MP Alenka Bratušek in parliament on Monday.
Bratušek accused Cerar of "leading the country into the biggest public-sector strike in history", referring to more than 15 trade unions having announced industrial action for Wednesday, with more to follow in February.
Bratušek, a former prime minister, grilled Cerar about how his government could think "all the other public servants would remain quiet" when it signed separate deals with several groups of public sector employees, including police officers and doctors.
She wanted to know how his government would avoid the chaos that can be expected during the strikes.
"There cannot be chaos and there will be none," stressed Cerar, accusing the MP of dramatizing. He added that the government had been holding intense talks with social partners to find an agreement.
According to the prime minister, the government is regularly and responsibly negotiating with trade unions, while trying to ensure that the effects of economic growth get shared in a suitable and just manner.
Cerar noted that the public sector pay bill had increased by 10.7% and that wages went up by 7% on average. In addition, virtually all austerity measures from the time of the economic crisis had been lifted.
The prime minister thus finds it hard to understand "the enormous pressure" from the trade unions. The government said strike demands amounted to nearly one billion euro annually, but the unions dispute the figure.
Cerar also said that the separate deals the government had struck with some trade unions had been related to the gradual elimination of austerity measures and pay disparities. These problems had been piling up for years, he added.
Nevertheless, the government will continue negotiations with trade unions and try to find a just and financially sustainable compromise, he announced.
Cerar added that the government had worked to ensure stability, development and economic growth, but "we cannot hand out something we don't have".
