The Minister of the Sea, Tourism, Transport and Development, Bozidar Kalmeta, who is chairing the Social and Economic Council (GSV) instead of Jadranka Kosor, said that the government would instruct the State Prosecutor's Office to accept the unions' request to annul the agreement.
Two trade unions gathering health care workers recently filed a lawsuit seeking the annulment of the separate agreement for physicians and dentists, claiming that it was against the Labour Act and the GSV's conclusions under which labour rights in public services are regulated by collective agreements, while labour rights in individual professions are regulated by annexes to those agreements.
All signatories to the collective agreement for health care workers will start negotiations on an annex for physicians, which will be signed by four trade unions participating in the negotiations, said Kalmeta.
The agreement for physicians was signed in early December by Health Minister Andrija Hebrang and Croatian Physicians Union (HLS) leader Ivica Babic.
The leader of the Council of Croatian Public Service Workers Unions, Zdenka Gizdic, expressed satisfaction with today's agreement, adding that the government had demonstrated "credibility and faith in social dialogue".
The unions accept PM Sanader's invitation to join negotiations with the European Union on Croatia's membership in the EU, which means that they want to share responsibility for Croatia's admission to the EU, she added.
After today's agreement between PM Sanader and the six trade unions, four trade unions decided to resume their participation in the work of the GSV. These unions previously suspended their membership in the GSV in protest of the signing of the separate agreement for physicians and dentists.
HLS leader Ivica Babic told Hina he did not wish to comment on the agreement until the HLS received an official decision. He added that the union would not accept any solution that would be detrimental to physicians.