President of the Republic Speaks with Members of Trade Union of Workers in Early Childhood Education

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović spoke with members of the Trade Union of Workers in Early Childhood Education of Croatia. Representatives of the Trade Union of Workers in Early Childhood Education decided to contact the President of the Republic because, as they said at the meeting, other institutions showed no interest in resolving the problems being faced by early childhood education workers.

Trade union representatives singled out the reduction of salaries of employees in early education institutions in many cities and municipalities, caused by the coronavirus pandemic, as the biggest current problem, with salaries in some cities being reduced by up to 40 percent. In addition, they warned that the state and local government units, which own certain preschools, are not abiding by Article 51 of the Act on Preschool Education, which prescribes the manner in which the salaries of preschool employees are to be calculated. Trade union representatives also pointed to the problem of different preschool enrolment prices, as this puts children in an unequal position, making the basic right guaranteed by the Constitution –the right of children to an education – often impossible in practice.

Attending the meeting with President Milanović were the head of the trade union Božena Strugar, the trade union’s county commissioner for the City of Zagreb Dubravka Matić and the trade union’s legal adviser Slaven Vukašinec.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Tomislav Bušljeta