ZAGREB, March 11 (Hina) - The president of the Independent Croatian Trade Unions (NHS), Kresimir Sever, asked the government on Thursday to explain why Croatia needed a new stand-by arrangement with the International Monetary Fund
(IMF), talks about which are expected to begin next month.
ZAGREB, March 11 (Hina) - The president of the Independent Croatian
Trade Unions (NHS), Kresimir Sever, asked the government on Thursday
to explain why Croatia needed a new stand-by arrangement with the
International Monetary Fund (IMF), talks about which are expected to
begin next month.#L#
"We were against all the previous arrangements with the IMF, and we
will be against the new one too since we are afraid that it will push
through all sorts of things to the detriment of Croatian workers,"
Sever told a news conference. As an example, he mentioned last year's
amendments to the Labour Law, which were adopted under pressure from
the IMF.
When the law was changed it was announced that it would be easier to
fire workers, which trade unions find unacceptable since the labour
market in Croatia is too flexible anyway and workers' security has to
be upgraded, said Sever.
The NHS is also afraid of new downward pressure on salaries and
lay-offs in state and public services, which the IMF might ask for
during new negotiations.
(Hina) ha sb