Changes in the sectoral collective agreements
A new Annex No. 2 to the Collective Agreement for Slovenia’s Trade Sector (Aneks št. 2 h Kolektivni pogodbi dejavnosti trgovine Slovenije) has been signed by trade industry social partners and entered into force on 22 July 2017. Key changes include, in particular, increased amounts of reimbursement of food costs during work and increased amounts of daily food allowances for business trips in Slovenia, which employers have to take into account starting from August, when paying salaries and labour costs for July. Furthermore, the social partners agreed on a two-step increase in minimum salaries, increasing salaries in all tariff classes by 5 – 8%. These newly agreed amounts will take effect for salaries paid for the month of September. Social partners have also agreed on a higher allowance for “surplus hours” in the event of irregular distribution of working time. From 1 September 2017 to 28 February 2018, employers must pay an additional allowance or bonus of 45% for every surplus hour exceeding 170 surplus hours. From 1 March 2018 onwards, such bonus shall amount to 60%; whereas previously all surplus hours were paid “only” through an overtime bonus of 30%. On contrary, social partners also agreed on a more beneficial provision for the employers. Employees having more than 30 years of service with their employer are no longer entitled to higher severance pay as agreed in the applicable labour law. Statutory severance pay for all employees is now capped at 10 times the base average salary.
All employers in the trade sector should take the time to familiarise themselves with the provisions of the new annex as soon as possible and duly note the changes, especially when calculating and paying salaries and labour costs to their employees.
On 14 July 2017, the Energy Industry Chamber of Slovenia and the Union of Energy Workers of Slovenia signed a new Collective Agreement for the Slovenian Electricity Industry, which is applicable from 1 August 2017 onwards (with the exception of the provision governing annual leave, which shall apply from the beginning of the next calendar year). An open-ended collective agreement has been concluded and applies to employers who are members of the Energy Industry Chamber of Slovenia and who, as a predominant activity, carry on one of the electricity power activities (as well as several other employers, subject to the signing parties’ approval).
Considering that the old collective agreement dated back to 1996, the text of the collective agreement had to be substantially amended and now takes into account the changes made to labour legislation in the intervening period, in particular the Employment Relationship Act (ZDR-1). The new collective agreement, inter alia, regulates simultaneous employment on two job positions; provides additional grounds for conclusion of fixed-term employment contracts; regulates in detail traineeships and temporary execution of another work; changes procedures for mass redundancies and identifying redundant employees; amends provisions on the irregular distribution and temporary redistribution of working hours; amends provisions on disciplinary and tort liability; strengthens the criteria for additional days of annual leave; and in particular changes the provisions regarding payment of salaries (e.g. type and amount of allowances, compensation of salary, jubilee bonus, etc.) and reimbursement of costs. The minimum salaries have substantially increased in all tariff classes. The lowest base salary for I. Tariff class has increased by more than 38% and the lowest base salary for IX. Tariff class by almost 64%.
All employers in the electricity industry are encouraged to, as soon as possible, check how the new collective agreement affects their employment contracts and any company collective agreements. If employment contracts refer to the respective sectoral collective agreement with regard to payment of salaries and reimbursement of costs, the new amounts must be taken into account when calculating and paying salaries for the month of August. Employers should also note that the new amounts may exceed the maximum amounts exempt from taxes under the applicable tax regulation.
