Zagreb - The Croatian Parliament on Friday adopted the Act on the Wages of Public and Civil Servants, as a result of which employees with the lowest wages could see a significant increase in their wages as of March 2024.
The law, which was voted in with 77 votes for, 12 against and 24 abstentions, is aimed at standardising, in a sustainable way, public sector wages for close to 240,000 employees whose pay comes from the state budget.
The government has described the regulation of wages in the civil and public sectors as the biggest reform endeavour in public administration in the last 30 years.
Another novelty in the law is the introduction of a performance bonus that will amount to a maximum 30% of the pay, and employees with the best work results will also be able to get an annual performance bonus.
Civil Service Act defines uniform rules for employment in state administration
The parliament also voted in the Civil Service Act, which defines uniform rules for employment in the state administration as well as for promotion and assessment of performance, as well as responsibility for breaches of professional duties, professional training, etc.
The centralised hiring system, which is being implemented, will enable centralised employment through online tests to secure impartiality and transparency of candidate selection, facilitate the selection procedure and contribute to the employment of candidates with the necessary competencies.
Under the law, a civil servant may be transferred, without their consent, from one place of work to another that is up to 50 kilometres away from their place of residence.