ZAGREB, May 27, 2020 - Unions representing workers in the health and welfare sectors said on Wednesday, ahead of a meeting with government officials, that their members were against a government proposal for the suspension of planned base pay increases of 2% in June and October and of the holiday allowance.

Renata Culinovic Caic of the HLS doctors' union told reporters that it was owing to the work of medical and social workers that the relaunching of tourism and economy after the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic had been made possible and that given the circumstances, doctors could not accept the government's proposal.

The Preporod union of school employees said earlier in the day that most of their members were against the government's proposal while a representative of the NSZVO union of employees in the science and higher education sectors said the union's central body had accepted the government's offer.

Talks between government negotiators and union representatives about the signing of annexes to collective and basic collective agreements for the public sector and government employees continued at the Labour and Pension System Ministry today.

The negotiations will be held separately with representatives of public sector unions, unions of employees in the science and higher education sectors, teachers and high school employees, and unions of government employees.