The protest was organised by the National Trade Union of Workers (RSRH), which thus joined the European Federation of Employees in the Public Services which protested against postal liberalisation around Europe today.
The unionists handed EC representatives a petition signed by more than 11,000 HP employees and members of the public. They want the EU to take a debate on liberalisation from the European Parliament's agenda and the Croatian government to apply the liberalisation as of 2011.
Around noon, the RSRS also organised a five-minute strike against liberalisation in postal offices nationwide, claiming a two-thirds turnout.
RSRH president Jadranko Vehar told the press full liberalisation would damage employers and users of postal services not living in cities, while benefitting only multinational companies.
The president of Independent Croatian Trade Unions, Kresimir Sever, said the liberalisation could bring other countries' posts to Croatia which would take over a large share of HP's services, something HP was not ready for.
Sever added that liberalisation also meant more complex and possibly more expensive services as well as surplus labour as people from other countries could come to work in Croatia.
The RSRH estimates that full liberalisation would close down 400-500 postal offices, lower service quality and the number of employees by 5,000, and that towns with less than 5,000 inhabitants would remain without postal offices.
The RSRH said Croatia was not even close to being ready for liberalisation, either in terms of technology or personnel, and that despite promises, no government had done anything about this.