ZAGREB, Jan 16 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and leaders of trade union federations on Friday held a meeting at which they reached agreement on vital social objectives and on social dialogue about relevant
issues.
ZAGREB, Jan 16 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and leaders
of trade union federations on Friday held a meeting at which they
reached agreement on vital social objectives and on social dialogue
about relevant issues.#L#
"We agreed that there are no differences between us as regards vital
social objectives," Sanader said after the meeting, adding that there
was no reason for tension between the government and the unions.
The first meeting between the PM and the leaders of six union
federations was also attended by Deputy Prime Ministers Jadranka Kosor
and Andrija Hebrang, Finance Minister Ivan Suker, and Vera Babic,
state secretary at the Ministry of Economy, Labour and
Entrepreneurship.
Sanader promised full support to the social partnership as a key
precondition for social progress, and announced that the government's
Office for Social Partnership would continue to operate.
He reiterated that the government would not give up its plan to reduce
the VAT rate from 22 to 20 percent and called on traders to cut prices
by a further two percent.
The government has proposed a reduction of the VAT rate, the
introduction of three-year maternity leave for mothers with three or
more children and the annulment of the decision ordering physicians
back to work because that is what the Croatian Democratic Union
promised in the election campaign, but it is definitely interested in
the unions' position and will discuss those issue with the unions
before sending them into parliamentary procedure, Sanader said.
The leaders of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Croatia
(SSSH), the Independent Croatian Unions (NHS), the Council of Croatian
Public Service Unions, the Association of Workers' Trade Unions of
Croatia (URSH), the Croatian Association of Trade Unions, and the
UNI-CRO Union of Services expressed satisfaction with the talks.
"Today's level of communication guarantees social dialogue," SSSH
acting president Vesna Dejanovic said.
NHS leader Kresimir Sever, who is chairing the Economic and Social
Council (GSV), is particularly pleased with the decision that the GSV
would hold a session as soon as next week.
Dalimir Kuba, head of the Council of Croatian Public Service Unions,
said that he had received a positive answer to his inquiry about the
reform of the system of science and education, as well as that debate
would be opened about decentralising the financing of the education
system.
(Hina) rml sb