Addressing the event, HUS leader Ozren Matijasevic said the national economy was mired in problems pushing workers deeper into poverty and uncertainty.
He said that the import-oriented economic model had suited crime and corruption and that this model should be replaced with an economy based on exports and production.
Matijasevic criticised employers for shifting the burden of the crisis onto workers.
The union leader also called for rebuilding confidence between the government, employers and trade unions so that they may reach a tripartite agreement on models for solving the most important issues.
President Josipovic said that his platform could be translated into one word -- justice.
For workers, this means the right to work, wages and social security, the president added, calling for developing flexicurity in the labour legislation.
Josipovic reiterated his position that specialised courts for labour cases should be set up in Croatia.
The president expressed optimism about 2011 despite the current difficult economic situation.
According to him, this optimism is based on the ongoing fight against corruption at all levels, on the likelihood of completing Croatia's European Union accession negotiations as well as on the enhancement of Croatia's relations with its neighbours.