ZAGREB, Feb 27 (Hina) - Leaders of five Croatian trade union federations and some autonomous unions said at a protest rally they had staged in Zagreb on Thursday that they would not accept draft amendments to the Labour Act (the
so-called ZOR) which, according to unionists, diminished workers' rights.
ZAGREB, Feb 27 (Hina) - Leaders of five Croatian trade union
federations and some autonomous unions said at a protest rally they
had staged in Zagreb on Thursday that they would not accept draft
amendments to the Labour Act (the so-called ZOR) which, according
to unionists, diminished workers' rights. #L#
The unionists warned executive and legislative authorities that
they were in favour of amendments to the said law which would fit
Croatian workers and which would not be tailored according to the
requests of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
Calling on all unions to continue together their joint struggle
against cuts in the scope of workers' rights, the leader of the
Federation of the Croatian Independent Unions (SSSH), Davor Juric,
told the authorities that there would be 60,000 protesters at the
next rally if the responsible factors failed to establish a balance
between labour and capital.
Thursday's rally, held in St. Mark's Square, gathered around 6,000
people, according to figures released by police that reported that
the event was peaceful without any incident. The gathered unionists
carrying banners and wearing sings and symbols of unions on their
caps, aprons and hats, began dispersing at 1 pm Thursday.
Booing the incumbent government and parliament, they called on MPs
not to accept the draft amendments to the labour legislation, which
envisage shorter notices for the termination of employment,
smaller severance pays, equal terms for full-time and part-time
employment and some other changes which the unions oppose.
At the rally, a representative of the international confederation
of free trade unions for south-east Europe, Jurgen Buxbaum,
criticised the World Bank for its support to the changes to the
Croatian labour legislation.
Earlier on Thursday representatives of the five federations and
autonomous unions held an all-union convention in the club
"Tvornica" hall.
According to the organisers, the event drew some 1,600 union
commissioners from the entire Croatia, and additional 3,000
unionists were in front of the club's building.
The participants in the convention decided to launch an initiative
for calling a referendum among Croatian citizens about the
directions of the national economic and social policy.
"With this decision we are activating our constitutional rights to
be directly engaged in making decisions on regulating economic and
social relations in Croatia," the head of the Independent Croatian
Unions, Kresimir Sever, said at the convention.
The unionists also declared 2003 as a year of the struggle for the
dignity of the Croatian working class.
They also agreed on organising the second all-union convention on
Labour Day (1 May) in Maksimir Park, which is the venue of workers'
celebrations of that national holiday.
"We are willing to negotiate, we have knowledge and we can work on
the development of our country," Juric added.
The participants in Thursday's convention and rally, insisted on
the protection of the existent rights of workers, a more efficient
judiciary, the protection of the jobless and the strengthening of
social dialogue and negotiations.
The union leaders, however, did not speak about a possibility of
organising a general strike but only alluded to it saying that they
would offer all the protection to workers in case of such industrial
action.
(hina) ms