Social Democrat Head Opposes Politicians`Pay Rise

President of the SDP believes it is unacceptable for state officials to get pay rises during recession and the credit crunch.

ZAGREB, CROATIA – President of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Zoran Milanovic invited the governing coalition to urgently find a solution to omit the president of the country and political officials from his Office, cabinet members with state secretaries and MPs from the category of official whose salaries have gone up six percent, assessing that their pay rise was unbecoming in the year of the crisis and recession.

- It is inconceivable and indefensible for salaries to be raised for political officials in the year of the recession and expected economic drop, not rise. I include the president and his Office, the cabinet together with state secretaries and MPs – Milanovic said at the SDP headquarters.

He pointed out that the government and the Parliamentary majority had to urgently find a way, whether with legal alterations of the government`s decree, for the mentioned officials to be omitted from the category of those whose salaries are raised six percent, according to the collective contract.

Politicians have no feeling and understanding for the crisis

- Such behaviour proves the absence of any sort of feeling and understanding for the crisis which we are experiencing, and which politicians should display – Milanovic said.

The SDP announced that if the governing coalition does not do this, they will address the Parliament with a legal solution.