Mesic noted that in circumstances of advanced globalisation Croatian workers, too, were faced with numerous problems, primarily a constant tendency to deprive workers of their rights.
One the one hand, workers are required to work more in market circumstances, while on the other they are denied a just salary and jobs are increasingly less secure, he said, wondering whether Croatian workers today should be denied in their state one of the fundamental human and constitutional rights -- the right to work and a just salary.
Mesic said that owing to problems brought on by increasing competition on the labour market and challenges brought on by future membership of the European Union, the task of economic and social dialogue between state institutions, trade unions and employers was to protect Croatian workers' rights so that they could acquire the position and dignity they are constitutionally and naturally entitled to.
The president underlined that it was very important for trade unions to assume a more active role in that respect.
Mesic said he expected the government to devise an economic development strategy as soon as possible so as to exploit as best as possible Croatia's comparative advantages, respond to living problems, and adjust Croatian economic development to that in Europe.
He pointed to the need of exploiting money from EU pre-accession funds as best as possible so as to develop entrepreneurship and attract as much sound economic investment as possible.
Mesic said all that would make it possible to increase production, employment, exports and GDP growth, and to joint developed European states in terms of living standards and social rights.
The president concluded the message by thanking all workers for the committed work they were doing for Croatia's common good and wished them a happy International Labour Day.