The Government initiates negotiations on an annex to the Basic Collective Agreement for public services

The Government of the Republic of Croatia has initiated the negotiation process for the conclusion of an addendum to the Basic Collective Agreement for Employees in Public Services and has appointed a negotiating committee to lead these discussions. The decision was made at the Government session held on October 14, 2026, and was published in the Official Gazette (Narodne novine) no. 118 of October 16, 2026, under number 1406.

This is an act that formally opens the way toward changes in working conditions in public services, primarily salaries and material rights, as the negotiations concern an addendum and not a new basic agreement. The existing Basic Collective Agreement for Employees in Public Services was published in the Official Gazette no. 29/24, and the Decision refers directly to that reference.

Legal Basis and Content of the Decision

The Government adopted the Decision based on Article 31, paragraph 2 of the Act on the Government of the Republic of Croatia (“Official Gazette”, no. 150/11, 119/14, 93/16, 116/18, 80/22, and 78/24) and Article 13, paragraph 1 of the Act on the Representativeness of Employers’ Associations and Trade Unions (“Official Gazette”, no. 93/14 and 26/15). Thus, the negotiation process has been officially launched, and the appointment of the committee is regulated in the same document.

The Decision contains four points: the initiation of the process, the appointment of the members of the negotiating committee, the appointment of their deputies, and a provision on entry into force. It was signed by the Prime Minister mr. sc. Andrej Plenković, and bears the markings Class: 022-03/26-04/446 and Registry Number: 50301-04/32-26-4.

Composition of the Negotiating Committee

The Government’s negotiating committee consists of seven members, chaired by the Minister of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy:

• dr. sc. Alen Ružić, dr. med., Minister of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy – Chairperson
• dr. sc. Tomislav Ćorić, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia and Minister of Finance – Member
• dr. sc. Irena Hrstić, dr. med., Minister of Health – Member
• dr. sc. Radovan Fuchs, Minister of Science, Education and Youth – Member
• Damir Habijan, Minister of Justice, Administration and Digital Transformation – Member
• dr. sc. Nina Obuljen Koržinek, Minister of Culture and Media – Member
• Ivona Ferenčić, Secretary General of the Government of the Republic of Croatia – Member

The composition of the committee shows that all line ministries managing the largest public service systems—health, education, justice, and culture—are included in the negotiations, along with the Ministry of Finance as the holder of budgetary constraints.

Deputy Members and Entry into Force

A deputy has been appointed for each member, usually from the same ministry:

• Anita Zirdum – Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy
• Stipe Župan – Ministry of Finance
• Tomislav Dulibić – Ministry of Health
• Stipe Mamić – Ministry of Science, Education and Youth
• Fadila Bahović – Ministry of Justice, Administration and Digital Transformation
• Dražena Vrselja – Ministry of Culture and Media
• Kristina Gerber Sertić – Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia

The decision enters into force on the day of its adoption, namely October 14, 2026, and has been published in the “Narodne novine”. The document does not establish deadlines for the completion of negotiations nor the content of the future annex, so concrete improvements in salaries and employee rights will only be known after the committee and trade unions complete the talks.

For public service employees, this is the first formal step toward amending the working conditions established by the 2024 agreement. The appointment of a committee at the ministerial level means that negotiations will be conducted directly with the Government, and any agreed annex must be published in the official gazette before implementation.

Source: Narodne novine, no. 118/2026, October 16, 2026, Decision on initiating the negotiation process for the conclusion of an annex to the Basic Collective Agreement for public service employees and the appointment of the negotiating committee of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, document no. 1406, Class: 022-03/26-04/446, Registry no: 50301-04/32-26-4.