The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in the caretaker government, SiniĊĦa Mali, announced that on Monday, April 7, the advance payment of the March salary increase for education workers will begin, with a 5.0% raise. Additionally, employees in higher education will receive a salary increase of approximately 16%.
Mali explained to Tanjug that the payment of increased salaries to staff in preschools, primary and secondary schools fulfills the agreement reached with education unions for an emergency 5.0% salary increase starting in March. “This is the first salary increase, and another 5% raise will follow in October, making the total 11% increase received by educators from January 1 of this year. So, the cumulative increase for education employees this year will be 11%, plus two 5% raises, totaling 22.4%,” he said. He added that employees who worked the full time will receive the full salary with the raise, including non-teaching staff and teachers who held 45-minute classes, while those who worked fewer hours will receive a smaller amount according to their performance.
Mali emphasized that the Serbian government is fulfilling its promise and the agreement made with the unions, noting that with the March increase, the base salary for teachers will exceed 101,000 dinars, and the salary for class teachers will reach 108,500 dinars. With the October increase, the base salary will exceed 106,000 dinars, and the class teacherâs salary will surpass 113,000 dinars.
“We are fulfilling the promise we made, and this is very important news for our educators. I hope this will be an additional motivation for them to return to schools and start holding full 45-minute classes, as most schools in Serbia are already doing,” said Mali. He also highlighted the importance of the salary increase for employees in higher education. “I would like to remind you that the fourth student demand, although many no longer mention it, was to increase the higher education budget by 20%. This is also being addressed with an extraordinary 16% raise for all higher education staff, specifically 15.97%. Non-teaching staff, who have been working throughout, will receive the full increase. Those who worked will receive nearly a 16% raise, while those who did not work will receive less, based on their performance,” Mali stated.
He emphasized that this fulfills the fourth student demand and is being practically implemented with the advance payment for the March salary, which will begin on Monday, April 7, Tanjug reports.
