Serbia proposes 9.2% minimum wage rise for 2027; government offers €50 increase
Finance Ministry proposes raising minimum from €550 to about €600; employers and unions remain divided ahead of follow‑up talks.
The Serbian Finance Ministry has proposed raising the statutory minimum wage for 2027 by 9.2 percent, from the current €550 to roughly €600, government, employer and union representatives said after their first negotiation meeting.
Under the ministry's offer the hourly minimum would increase from 371 dinars to 405 dinars, which translates to a monthly minimum of 70,470 dinars. The proposal also includes measures intended to ease the burden on employers, among them an increase in the portion of wages exempt from income tax.
Positions diverge ahead of the next round of talks
The employers' association said the economy could sustain an 8 percent rise in the minimum wage, effective from 1 January 2027, when accounting for inflation and GDP growth, and that it will publish its final position at the next meeting.
Trade unions, for their part, insisted that discussions cover the percentage rise of total wages and pressed for a clear answer on when in 2027 "the minimum" will reach the promised €650.
Negotiations between government, employers and unions will continue at further sessions as parties work to reconcile the ministry's 9.2 percent proposal with competing demands and assessments of economic capacity.
Photo: илустрација / EPA/FRIEDEMANN VOGEL
