SSSH president Vesna Dejanovic visited Washington last week, where World Bank representatives told her they had seen Croatia's draft budget for 2005, unlike Croatian trade unions, who have been asking to see it for months, SSSH spokeswoman Ina Volmut told Hina on Monday.
In talks with World Bank representatives, Dejanovic said the government had not demonstrated readiness for genuine social dialogue when it came to the creation of the national budget and the tax and education reforms.
The World Bank's director for Croatia, Anand Seth, and economist for the reduction of poverty Satu Kahkonen said the nonexistence of social dialogue was harmful because reforms were more successful if trade unions were involved in them.
Dejanovic was in Washington between October 6 and 9 in her capacity as International Confederation of Trade Unions Vice President for Central and East Europe. She held talks with International Monetary Fund director Rodrigo de Rata and World Bank president James D. Wolfensohn.