Statements made by the Serbian President, Aleksandar Vučić, where he says that pensions will be increased by 18.2 percent on two occasions by January 1, 2023, as well as that there will be a “significant” increase in the minimum wage and civil servant salaries are another gimmick before the possible re-run of Belgrade elections and a serious violation of his constitutional powers as president of Serbia – says the Sloga Association of United Trade Unions of Serbia.
“Moreover, the fact is that inflation has already annulled the announced increase and that minimum wage is already insufficient to lead a normal life, we think that the minimum wage should be at least 500 euros while the lowest pension should be 400 euros, in order to keep up with the real inflation rate, which the State Statistics Office is not showing by using an obscure methodology for calculating inflation,” the press release reads.
“If we recall last year’s financial aid to pensioners in the amount of 20,000 dinars, we now have a repeat of the same gimmick, this time in a different form but for the same purpose, namely buying votes of pensioners before the eventual rerun of the Belgrade elections due to the fact that the ruling coalition has a weak majority (in the Belgrade Assembly) and unpopularity of Aleksandar Sapic (SNS candidate for Belgrade mayor). If we take into account the continuous intimidation of the people with announcements that the next winter will be very difficult for people here because of insufficient quantities of available energy and expensive food, while promising higher pensions and civil servant salaries, it all becomes very clear,” Sloga said in the press release, adding that all those measures are serving to solidify the ‘cult’ status of Aleksandar Vucic as “the father of the nation, leader and saviour”.
(Nova.rs, 15.06.2022)
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