Main Trade Union Federation of Croatian Workers (GLAS HR) on Friday objected to announcements of higher bread prices.
The HSS asked competent institutions, notably Agriculture Minister Petar Cobankovic, to react, while URSH and GLAS HR called for checking the reason for the price change and on the government to intervene and take a position.
The HSS called on Cobankovic to react in keeping with his authority and do the utmost to protect Croatians from the dominating position of the milling and baking industry, a statement said, adding that the minister had facilitated this position through his inertia as bread was a strategic social product whose price was used to influence the poorest population.
Some flour manufacturers and bakers have announced that a 20-25% flour price raise may be expected in early August as well as a 10% increase in the price of bread and other baking products.
URSH and GLAS HR called on the government to intervene from stockpiles and prevent an increase in the price of bread as well as to establish control over "rampant prices and artificial price increases," read a statement.
The unionists said that a higher bread price represented an additional cost on the already indebted public and that it was alwways followed by increases in prices of other provisions.