Raising teacher salaries

A 10% wage increase was implemented in January 2019; however, it has been reported that in some schools, the increase was at the expense of bonuses of some individual teachers. This led to an official letter from trade unions to some school authorities (municipalities and self-governing regions) and to the speaker of the Parliament. It was not only teachers, but also all public workers, who enjoyed the 10% wage increase, making the increase in teacher salaries in 2019 less attractive. Also, personal bonuses for teacher wages are endangered by the expiration of credits gathered within in-service training and due to the new in-service training model.

In October 2019, the government approved a further 10% increase in salaries  for all staff in the education sector, effective from 1 January 2020. Over the last four years, salaries have been increased cumulatively by 36%. Nevertheless, they are likely only to reach 70% of the earnings of university graduates in 2020, according to the education ministry estimate.

Although, the new government coalition, elected on 21 March 2020, had envisaged  a further increase in educators’ salaries, the COVID-19 pandemic put this plan in doubt. According to the 2020 Government Manifesto, salary increases in the education sector are subject to budget availability.

A policy change is being promoted by the education ministry. Instead of a flat rate increase in wages, schools will be given additional means for bonuses to be paid based on specific criteria set by the ministry.

The economic slowdown caused by the pandemic stopped investment in wages in 2020. Nevertheless, the education ministry confirmed that 6% of the total wage bill  will be offered for benefits, with no change in tariff wages. Further, an additional benefit is under discussion to compensate for the higher living costs of pedagogical staff across the country. EUR 100 million is earmarked for both measures to be implemented in 2021.

Salary growth as a percentage of the tariff wages was not implemented in 2021. EUR 100 bonuses for pandemic-related challenges were paid in December 2021, and EUR 350 were paid in January 2022 for teachers and for all State administration employees as a component of December 2021 salaries, resulting from a collective bargaining agreement. However, all investments in bonuses were lower than the announced EUR 100 million. Valorisation of salaries by 3% is agreed from 1 July 2022: after 2 years of frozen tariff wages, this increase is considered insufficient. Therefore, the Trade Union of Workers in Education and Science announced the threat of a strike.

The Declaration 2021 initiated by the Trade Union of Workers in Education and Science, and supported by the major organisations operating in education from kindergarten to higher education, was signed on 3 November 2021. It also contains the requirement to return to a 10% annual increase, as offered in the past.

From January 2022, the tariff wage of novice teachers is EUR 915 plus a mandatory bonus of EUR 55. The shortest time to reach the highest career level and a top basic tariff wage of EUR 1 251.50 is after eleven years of practice (and passing the second attestation examination). The basic tariff wage also increases after every year of practice. The maximum tariff wage of teachers after 40 years of practice is EUR 1 477, adding EUR 225 to the basic tariff salary of EUR 1 251. Additional bonuses depend on staff performance and the possibilities of the school budget.

The Declaration 2021 was not accepted. On 15 June 2022, teachers and other school staff protested for higher salaries in Bratislava criticising the government and coalition parties for not fulfilling their commitments and the government manifesto to raise teachers' salaries and calling for a 10%, not 3%, increase in tariff salaries from 1 July 2022, as previously offered by the government. As a consequence of the threat of a strike in September 2022, improvement was agreed upon as follows:

1. valorisation by 3% from July 2022 and a one-time bonus of EUR 500 in 2022;
2. further valorisation by 10% and 12% from January and September 2023, respectively.

It is slightly more compared to other public employees including non-pedagogical staff in schools with a 7% and 10% increase, respectively. The newly achieved collective agreement is valid until 31 August 2024. It is more favourable compared to the original proposals of the government of 3.5% and 5% for the same period. Despite substantial improvement, real wages of teachers and other school staff declined as a consequence of high inflation of 12.8% in 2022, according to the Statistical Office.