ZAGREB, Jan 14 (Hina) - Croatia's Prime Minister Ivica Racan said on Tuesday the government did not intend to yield to unions demanding abandoning changes to the Labour Act.
ZAGREB, Jan 14 (Hina) - Croatia's Prime Minister Ivica Racan said on
Tuesday the government did not intend to yield to unions demanding
abandoning changes to the Labour Act. #L#
The government may fall but will not give that up, he told
journalists, expressing determination that labour legislation be
reformed.
He said the reform had already been supported by his Social
Democrats as well as unanimously endorsed by the other ruling
coalition parties.
Reforms are crucial for Croatia and time must not be wasted even at
the price of elections, said Racan.
Commenting on criticism that the Social Democrats were advocating
cuts in workers' rights, he said these rights were big on paper but
non-existent in real life.
Over the past ten years these paper rights have cost a huge number of
workers their jobs, without the right to severance pays and notice
periods, he said.
Racan reiterated the government would forward a bill of amendments
to the Labour Act into parliament and called on unions to
participate in the debate.
He branded the abandoned reform of labour legislation 18 months ago
a mistake. He added, however, that it was done at the unions'
request and on their promise that they might become a partner to the
government if it postponed the reform.
According to unofficial reports, the labour legislation reform
project might be sent into parliament next week, ahead of the new
session.
It has also been claimed that the government, faced with the unions'
radical refusal and announcement of a general strike, might drop
the most disputed provisions -- on severance pays and notice
periods -- leaving them for collective bargaining.
(hina) ha