WEBVTT 00:00:00.929 --> 00:00:05.326 Dear journalists and everyone following us, 00:00:05.446 --> 00:00:08.420 welcome to today's press conference 00:00:08.540 --> 00:00:12.881 after the 31st regular session of the government. Today, you will hear 00:00:13.001 --> 00:00:15.719 the minister of infrastructure Bojan Kumer, 00:00:15.839 --> 00:00:17.966 the minister of economy Matjaž Han, 00:00:18.086 --> 00:00:22.739 the state secretary at the Ministry of infrastructure Alenka Bratušek 00:00:22.859 --> 00:00:26.786 and the minister of labour, family and social affairs Luka Mesec. 00:00:27.007 --> 00:00:29.053 First, the demands of trade unions. 00:00:29.407 --> 00:00:35.519 The government follows the agreement from January 9, 2023, 00:00:35.639 --> 00:00:38.318 and is trying to solve the demands 00:00:38.438 --> 00:00:42.848 of the Trade Union of Education, Science and Culture. 00:00:42.968 --> 00:00:45.672 They decided on the basis for the negotiations 00:00:45.792 --> 00:00:49.931 about the annexe to the collective contract for education 00:00:50.051 --> 00:00:53.391 and about the annexe 00:00:53.511 --> 00:00:56.553 to the collective contract for science. 00:00:57.524 --> 00:01:02.217 The government was also briefed 00:01:02.337 --> 00:01:05.853 on the agreement with the healthcare trade union 00:01:05.973 --> 00:01:11.853 and authorised the minister of health to sign it. 00:01:13.035 --> 00:01:16.182 The government said in the agreement 00:01:16.303 --> 00:01:20.753 that the doctors aren't responsible for the situation. 00:01:21.209 --> 00:01:26.253 They condemn any violence against doctors and other healthcare staff. 00:01:26.864 --> 00:01:32.507 They will include doctors and dentists 00:01:32.628 --> 00:01:36.438 through the doctors' organisations, also through the trade union, 00:01:36.558 --> 00:01:39.253 as equal partners at reforming 00:01:39.373 --> 00:01:44.319 and forming an accessible and quality public healthcare system. 00:01:45.642 --> 00:01:50.453 The other demand will be solved as follows. 00:01:51.017 --> 00:01:55.853 On January 25, the negotiators will meet for the first time. 00:01:56.137 --> 00:02:01.653 The government wants to form a separate wage system until April 1 00:02:01.843 --> 00:02:06.985 within the public sector wage system. The proposal 00:02:07.105 --> 00:02:10.386 will be sent to the parliament until June 30. 00:02:10.927 --> 00:02:14.953 If the separate payment system 00:02:15.073 --> 00:02:18.431 won't be implemented until January 1, 2024, 00:02:18.551 --> 00:02:24.084 the government will correct wage anomalies in negotiations 00:02:24.204 --> 00:02:28.591 for the E1 wage group. New placements in wage groups 00:02:28.711 --> 00:02:32.186 will come into force on January 1, 2024. 00:02:32.587 --> 00:02:37.053 Other demands will be solved in the separate system. 00:02:37.837 --> 00:02:40.253 This is all for now. Now, I give the floor 00:02:40.576 --> 00:02:43.986 the minister of infrastructure Bojan Kumer. 00:02:44.106 --> 00:02:46.702 The government passed the decree about the subsidy 00:02:46.823 --> 00:02:50.646 for electricity and gas suppliers and the amendment to the decree 00:02:50.766 --> 00:02:55.086 about electricity prices for small and mid-size companies. 00:02:55.206 --> 00:02:56.806 Minister, go ahead. 00:03:01.764 --> 00:03:07.186 Thank you. As already said, we passed three decrees today. 00:03:07.470 --> 00:03:12.319 We passed the amendment to the decree 00:03:12.650 --> 00:03:15.908 for micro, small and mid-size companies 00:03:16.028 --> 00:03:21.253 where we limit the electricity prices. We added the amendment 00:03:21.373 --> 00:03:23.586 to include companies 00:03:23.831 --> 00:03:29.472 that needed less electricity during Covid in 2021 00:03:29.592 --> 00:03:34.706 that was the reference year and wouldn't be entitled 00:03:34.826 --> 00:03:39.081 to the price regulation. We passed the amendment 00:03:39.201 --> 00:03:43.018 and we gave the opportunity 00:03:43.138 --> 00:03:45.576 to take a non-Covid year as a reference, 00:03:45.696 --> 00:03:51.054 this is the year from July 1, 2021, 00:03:51.174 --> 00:03:54.881 after the end of Covid, and the next 12 months 00:03:55.001 --> 00:03:58.119 until June 30, 2022. 00:03:58.603 --> 00:04:03.056 We have adopted two regulations that have been announced 00:04:03.216 --> 00:04:06.556 and that follow all measures, which have been prepared 00:04:06.736 --> 00:04:09.383 within the group for expanses at the Prime Minister's. 00:04:09.616 --> 00:04:14.650 For appropriate remuneration of loss of income 00:04:14.752 --> 00:04:19.685 or for the damage the energy and gas suppliers had suffered 00:04:19.925 --> 00:04:23.105 from electrical network or gas system. 00:04:23.332 --> 00:04:27.576 There are two regulations. First is for remuneration of loss 00:04:28.483 --> 00:04:31.663 and damage to the electrical energy suppliers. 00:04:31.809 --> 00:04:39.003 The second one is for reimbursement of loss from gas system 00:04:39.169 --> 00:04:42.076 or gas suppliers. 00:04:43.076 --> 00:04:49.563 With these two regulations we are addressing the costs ... 00:04:49.730 --> 00:04:52.823 Expensive measures. 00:04:53.076 --> 00:04:58.416 We are compensating the suppliers which have to sell at a high price, 00:04:58.683 --> 00:05:01.223 as far as electricity and gas are concerned. 00:05:01.430 --> 00:05:04.490 We also established the agency for this task. 00:05:04.596 --> 00:05:07.063 It is Borzen, market operator. 00:05:07.250 --> 00:05:10.296 We established the criterion, payment method, 00:05:10.496 --> 00:05:14.863 the measures and procedure 00:05:15.783 --> 00:05:18.470 that will last the whole year 2023, 00:05:18.783 --> 00:05:24.786 and the criterion, if a supplier is entitled to the compensation. 00:05:25.110 --> 00:05:28.170 The financial assessment we made, is 00:05:28.463 --> 00:05:34.356 that all the measures after these two regulations, 00:05:34.683 --> 00:05:39.703 which are considering also current regulations 00:05:39.810 --> 00:05:45.263 on the highest price cap of electricity and gas ... 00:05:45.950 --> 00:05:48.043 The financial consequences 00:05:48.156 --> 00:05:52.830 should be around 340 and 350 million € annually. 00:05:53.243 --> 00:05:55.443 Thank you. -Thank you, Minister. 00:05:55.616 --> 00:05:59.683 Are there any questions? No? Maybe someone on the internet? 00:05:59.950 --> 00:06:02.416 Let's wait, if someone raises his or her hand. 00:06:05.570 --> 00:06:08.790 Nobody. I would like to thank the Minister. 00:06:08.976 --> 00:06:12.916 We wish him a successful day tomorrow as well. 00:06:13.590 --> 00:06:17.563 Now Matjaž Han and Alenka Bratušek will join us. 00:06:17.816 --> 00:06:21.383 The government adopted the draft proposal on the aid to the economy 00:06:21.530 --> 00:06:26.130 within the energy crisis. Minister Matjaž Han shall talk about it. 00:06:26.383 --> 00:06:31.250 The government has also adopted the bill about aid to aviation. 00:06:31.443 --> 00:06:36.016 State secretary Alenka Bratušek shall talk about that. 00:06:36.222 --> 00:06:40.410 Please, Mr. Han. -Hello, I will be very short. 00:06:40.596 --> 00:06:44.196 First I will talk about an amendment on the aid to economy. 00:06:44.336 --> 00:06:45.963 It is basically an adaptation, 00:06:46.143 --> 00:06:51.003 considering that Mr. Kumer explained the regulations. 00:06:51.390 --> 00:06:57.416 In the year 2022 we adopted the law on aid to the economy 00:06:57.536 --> 00:07:00.156 for limiting the effects of the energy crisis. 00:07:00.496 --> 00:07:05.896 We all know the limitations or how we aided the economy. 00:07:06.010 --> 00:07:10.863 On 30th of December the government adopted the regulation 00:07:11.016 --> 00:07:15.310 on defining the prices for micro, small and medium businesses. 00:07:15.590 --> 00:07:19.910 In doing so, we have offered administrative and other help 00:07:20.296 --> 00:07:23.503 to micro, small and medium businesses. 00:07:24.523 --> 00:07:30.203 This price regulation will last till 30th of June 00:07:30.370 --> 00:07:35.563 and because of this regulation we had to exempt these businesses 00:07:35.736 --> 00:07:39.663 and they won't be able to apply. 00:07:39.870 --> 00:07:43.923 We have thus simplified the matter 00:07:44.070 --> 00:07:48.043 and made our economy more competitive. 00:07:48.236 --> 00:07:53.583 That is all, but I have to say that gas is exempt from this 00:07:53.843 --> 00:07:57.203 and technological steam as well. 00:07:57.383 --> 00:08:03.750 If the businesses need a subvention for gas, they can apply for it. 00:08:03.970 --> 00:08:06.329 That's all for this law. 00:08:06.450 --> 00:08:08.997 Regarding the Air Connectivity Act... 00:08:09.442 --> 00:08:17.122 It is a very important law that we have created 00:08:17.243 --> 00:08:21.001 together with the Ministry of Infrastructure, 00:08:21.122 --> 00:08:23.302 especially with Mrs. Bratušek. 00:08:23.423 --> 00:08:30.981 We provided a source of financing for air connections in Slovenia 00:08:31.102 --> 00:08:33.102 for a period of three years. 00:08:33.223 --> 00:08:36.903 You know that this is of vital importance for Slovenia. 00:08:37.024 --> 00:08:43.302 So that Slovenia will be well integrated into global lines. 00:08:43.423 --> 00:08:46.485 We need a flight connection for that. 00:08:46.606 --> 00:08:50.263 Slovenia is an export-oriented economy, 00:08:50.384 --> 00:08:52.399 we have a high quality tourism, 00:08:52.520 --> 00:08:55.950 that's why we need good airlines. 00:08:56.071 --> 00:09:01.532 After the collapse of Adria Airways, we fell into a situation 00:09:01.653 --> 00:09:04.192 which is not the best for Slovenia. 00:09:04.313 --> 00:09:07.157 That's why we need this kind of help. 00:09:07.278 --> 00:09:15.380 The goal is better connectivity of Slovenia by airplanes. 00:09:15.501 --> 00:09:19.691 The State Secretary will tell you more. 00:09:20.829 --> 00:09:25.983 Thank you, Minister. I would add that the connectivity of Slovenia 00:09:26.104 --> 00:09:30.185 has deteriorated significantly in the last two or three years. 00:09:30.306 --> 00:09:36.517 Our goal is to intervene and provide better connectivity. 00:09:36.856 --> 00:09:41.592 The two ministries will determine together 00:09:41.713 --> 00:09:45.514 key destinations for Slovenia. 00:09:45.815 --> 00:09:51.213 The financial assessment, which amounts to €5.6 million per year, 00:09:51.334 --> 00:09:54.799 is based on prediction 00:09:54.920 --> 00:09:59.186 that for 255 days a year 00:09:59.307 --> 00:10:05.647 we would provide 10 flights per day. 00:10:06.104 --> 00:10:09.084 This is how we got this amount. 00:10:09.205 --> 00:10:13.608 Between 120 and 130 passengers per plane 00:10:13.729 --> 00:10:17.688 and €17 per passenger. 00:10:17.927 --> 00:10:23.606 Since this is state aid, we need the consent 00:10:23.821 --> 00:10:26.204 of the European Commission. 00:10:26.489 --> 00:10:31.173 The law has already been forwarded to the European Commission. 00:10:31.294 --> 00:10:35.704 We're in a hurry, that's why the urgent procedure, 00:10:35.825 --> 00:10:39.544 for which I can apologise in advance. 00:10:39.665 --> 00:10:43.427 We're in a hurry because we want to catch the summer season 00:10:43.548 --> 00:10:46.954 which starts at the end of March. 00:10:47.082 --> 00:10:51.111 The law must be passed, the tender must be published. 00:10:51.231 --> 00:10:57.329 Before the funds are allocated, 00:10:57.450 --> 00:11:02.083 we will have to get the consent of the European Commission. 00:11:02.204 --> 00:11:05.241 Thank you very much. Any questions? 00:11:07.188 --> 00:11:08.788 Online? 00:11:09.801 --> 00:11:11.401 We are waiting. 00:11:14.102 --> 00:11:16.903 No, no one. -Thank you. -Thank you very much, good luck. 00:11:17.024 --> 00:11:20.087 The last minister. 00:11:20.208 --> 00:11:24.395 Luka Mesec, Minister of Labour, Family and Social Affairs. 00:11:24.516 --> 00:11:27.731 He will let us know the gross and net amount of the minimum wage, 00:11:27.852 --> 00:11:30.501 as well as what kind of solution is envisaged 00:11:30.622 --> 00:11:34.692 by the amendment to the Act on Recording Working Hours. 00:11:34.813 --> 00:11:37.335 Minister, the floor is yours. 00:11:38.485 --> 00:11:40.085 Thank you very much. 00:11:40.801 --> 00:11:44.633 Yesterday, when the Ministry of Labour 00:11:44.754 --> 00:11:49.137 finally got data on December - December annual inflation... 00:11:49.258 --> 00:11:53.364 This is the data we need to make the calculation. 00:11:53.485 --> 00:11:57.157 We adopted a decision on the new minimum wage. 00:11:57.295 --> 00:12:01.154 This minimum wage is getting a net increase of 100 EUR, 00:12:01.275 --> 00:12:04.795 exactly as I said it would before the new year. 00:12:05.037 --> 00:12:11.123 The net minimum wage last year was 778 EUR 00:12:11.310 --> 00:12:15.443 and it is now being increased to 878 EUR. 00:12:15.756 --> 00:12:19.764 Every minimum wage recipient will get 100 EUR more. 00:12:20.146 --> 00:12:22.083 We don't have to waste time 00:12:22.204 --> 00:12:25.639 explaining the need for these wage increases. 00:12:26.381 --> 00:12:28.814 Food, basic necessities, 00:12:28.935 --> 00:12:32.591 costs have risen last year due to inflation. 00:12:32.880 --> 00:12:38.957 The recipients of the lowest wages were the worst off, 00:12:39.086 --> 00:12:43.998 as the price of food rises faster than that of everything else. 00:12:44.215 --> 00:12:47.051 So we must first take care of those 00:12:47.172 --> 00:12:50.168 who are most affected by inflation 00:12:50.356 --> 00:12:57.840 and use most of their income to cover living expenses. 00:12:58.004 --> 00:13:01.597 That is why we are raising the minimum wage, 00:13:01.903 --> 00:13:07.215 so that those people could live easier. 00:13:07.699 --> 00:13:11.291 This does raise the question of other wages. 00:13:11.528 --> 00:13:17.238 The government has partially already responded to this issue 00:13:17.359 --> 00:13:22.621 with the tax reform, which came into effect on January 1st 2023. 00:13:22.871 --> 00:13:27.871 This tax reform raises the general income tax relief 00:13:28.145 --> 00:13:31.457 from 3500 EUR to 5000 EUR annually. 00:13:31.762 --> 00:13:36.746 This means that the lowest wages increase by about 40 EUR per month 00:13:37.035 --> 00:13:41.144 and the average salary will increase by 11 EUR. 00:13:42.590 --> 00:13:45.761 This year we are preparing two measures 00:13:45.882 --> 00:13:48.223 to increase other salaries. 00:13:48.629 --> 00:13:50.808 The first one is the debate 00:13:50.929 --> 00:13:54.941 on the overhaul of salaries in the public sector. 00:13:55.363 --> 00:14:00.290 Secondly, the private sector needs new collective agreements 00:14:00.411 --> 00:14:03.504 and an updated payment model. 00:14:04.848 --> 00:14:09.403 As Minister I already started working on this in the summer. 00:14:09.622 --> 00:14:16.677 We have an agreement with unions and employers 00:14:17.380 --> 00:14:21.232 to overhaul the payment model this year. 00:14:21.582 --> 00:14:24.204 As Minister, I am working to ensure 00:14:24.325 --> 00:14:27.743 that the basis of this payment model overhaul 00:14:27.864 --> 00:14:30.719 is that the minimum wage truly becomes 00:14:30.840 --> 00:14:33.401 the lowest salary in the country. 00:14:33.692 --> 00:14:39.184 All other salaries will be built above minimum wage, not below it. 00:14:39.305 --> 00:14:43.656 There are now 24 salary grades under the minimum wage 00:14:43.777 --> 00:14:47.519 in the public sector alone. So collective agreements, 00:14:47.640 --> 00:14:51.911 including those in the public sector, need to be overhauled. 00:14:52.192 --> 00:14:57.543 For this we need a new agreement on the salary model in Slovenia. 00:14:57.664 --> 00:15:01.324 I will strive to have this done this year, 00:15:01.445 --> 00:15:06.285 so that unions and employers can begin negotiating salaries 00:15:06.406 --> 00:15:09.551 across all industries in the country. 00:15:09.762 --> 00:15:15.006 Salaries in Europe are determined by collective negotiations, 00:15:15.127 --> 00:15:19.330 except for minimum wage, which is set by the state. 00:15:19.451 --> 00:15:22.084 We raised the minimum wage by 100 EUR, 00:15:22.205 --> 00:15:25.146 for all others we need a new payment model 00:15:25.267 --> 00:15:28.126 and negotiations on collective agreements 00:15:28.247 --> 00:15:32.748 that will determine salary grades and payment levels in general. 00:15:33.061 --> 00:15:37.842 The second topic is the act on keeping working time records. 00:15:39.147 --> 00:15:43.686 Working time records are a topic that I inherited. 00:15:44.052 --> 00:15:48.209 It was stuck in the Economic and Social Council for 3 years 00:15:48.330 --> 00:15:51.248 and we finally resolved it in the summer. 00:15:51.615 --> 00:15:57.732 The act that we received proposed the creation 00:15:57.974 --> 00:16:03.081 of a central electronic record of working time 00:16:03.202 --> 00:16:07.546 where all companies, institutes and business entities 00:16:07.667 --> 00:16:10.816 would have to record their working time. 00:16:10.937 --> 00:16:15.130 We'd introduce mandatory logging. 00:16:15.381 --> 00:16:21.560 This was deemed unviable, so we turned things around. 00:16:22.117 --> 00:16:25.841 We've drafted a proposal that was accepted today. 00:16:25.962 --> 00:16:29.716 The logging remains the same, 00:16:29.929 --> 00:16:33.638 except in companies where there are obvious problems. 00:16:34.367 --> 00:16:39.732 There are companies as reported by the Labour Inspectorate, 00:16:39.888 --> 00:16:45.078 that prepares one evidence for their accounting team, 00:16:45.414 --> 00:16:50.305 another one for the inspectorate 00:16:50.452 --> 00:16:53.578 and the third one for the employee. 00:16:54.116 --> 00:16:59.536 The employee is being cheated, not paid fully, 00:16:59.657 --> 00:17:01.560 overtime isn't reimbursed, etc. 00:17:02.170 --> 00:17:07.889 There are conflicts where you have employer's word vs employee's word 00:17:08.367 --> 00:17:14.763 and it's hard to judge who's the misleading party. 00:17:15.421 --> 00:17:20.636 For such instances, we're introducing the following: 00:17:20.867 --> 00:17:28.361 If the employees feel cheated about the logging of their time, 00:17:29.367 --> 00:17:34.629 they can demand from the employer to log the time electronically. 00:17:34.906 --> 00:17:39.332 If the employer disagrees, they must inform the inspectorate 00:17:39.419 --> 00:17:44.043 that will check the situation in the company. 00:17:44.413 --> 00:17:48.559 If the inspector concludes that there are irregularities, 00:17:48.780 --> 00:17:52.465 mandatory electronic logging will be advised. 00:17:52.586 --> 00:17:57.670 This way, the works will be able to follow their logged time weekly. 00:17:57.867 --> 00:18:00.858 They will have to be notified. 00:18:00.979 --> 00:18:07.437 They will always have an insight into their working hours 00:18:07.757 --> 00:18:09.357 and overtime. 00:18:09.873 --> 00:18:15.000 This way, we'll achieve that they will be fairly paid. 00:18:15.367 --> 00:18:21.551 That is the purpose of this act that was passed today. 00:18:21.945 --> 00:18:26.990 The workers in companies and sectors 00:18:27.617 --> 00:18:31.545 that saw irregularities most often will receive a tool 00:18:31.905 --> 00:18:35.802 to punish the offenders. 00:18:36.115 --> 00:18:41.427 I'd just like to stress that for all those who don't log 00:18:41.617 --> 00:18:49.091 their hours, this act changes absolutely nothing. 00:18:50.311 --> 00:18:53.685 Thank you very much. Any questions? 00:18:54.904 --> 00:18:59.162 Time for questions from the webroom. Please raise your hand. 00:19:01.366 --> 00:19:03.940 If there are any questions. 00:19:07.053 --> 00:19:09.323 I guess not. You've been thorough, Mr. Minister. 00:19:09.678 --> 00:19:12.178 Thank you and have a nice day. 00:19:14.273 --> 00:19:16.685 Good luck. -Thank you. 00:19:17.445 --> 00:19:20.279 That would be all, have a nice day.