On Wednesday, Parliament approved an amendment to the Labour Code that will increase several kinds of employee bonuses as of May of this year. Increasing work bonuses and introducing 13th and 14th salaries are part of the first social package.
According to the coalition's calculations, over 760,000 working people should be concerned by the higher bonuses which will also apply to staff in public and state administration. "It won't be cheap. Our goal is to bring Slovakia's standard of living up to the EU's average standard of living," added Fico.
A part of the opposition criticises the fact that the holiday bonus and 13th salaries will be paid only to a small number of employees, since the tax bonuses of these wages can only be applied under the condition of reaching the average salary limit.
The first measures could be published in the course of a month. Following the vote, Prime Minister Robert Fico announced that the governing coalition planned to introduce a second social package, which should enter into force next year. The measures should also apply to the business environment. "We're looking for measures that aren't one-way but will also promote economic growth," stated Fico. Labour Minister Jan Richter added that the new social package should also be targeted at young families.
