ZAGREB, March 28 (Hina) - The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Croatia (SSSH) has left the "Partnership for Development" social agreement which it signed with the government and employers last December, SSSH president Davor
Juric said.
ZAGREB, March 28 (Hina) - The Federation of Independent Trade
Unions of Croatia (SSSH) has left the "Partnership for Development"
social agreement which it signed with the government and employers
last December, SSSH president Davor Juric said. #L#
The council of the largest union federation decided to leave the
agreement because of the failure to adopt annexes to an agreement on
the wage policy, the basic principles of social policy, the
privatisation process and the European Social Charter, as well as
because it was dissatisfied with proposed changes to the Labour
Act.
Addressing a press conference in Zagreb, Juric called on other
unions and Croatian workers to oppose changes to the Labour Act and
the reduction of workers' rights.
Other social partners believe the SSSH's decision is rash.
Croatian Employers' Association (HUP) president Zeljko Ivancevic
said the process of overcoming a crisis in some countries lasted as
long as ten years, and that the SSSH had abandoned the social pact
after only several months.
Vitomir Begovic, head of the government's Office for Social
Partnership, said forces in the SSSH opposing the social agreement
had prevailed.
This decision will not jeopardise the social dialogue, because it
has already gained momentum, Begovic said, adding social
partnership did not depend solely on union federations but on
unions outside those federations as well.
Council of Croatian Public Service Workers president Dalimir Kuba,
too, believes the SSSH's decision is hasty.
Croatian Association of Trade Unions (HUS) president Zdenko
Mucnjak, on the other hand, believes the government has not
fulfilled its obligations from the social agreement.
HUS will abandon the agreement as well if its presidency does not
adopt the government's proposal that the adoption of annexes to the
wage policy and other measures be postponed until April 15, he
said.
The Association of Workers' Trade Unions of Croatia (URSH) will
abandon the agreement if the government keeps insisting on the
proposed changes to the Labour Act, union president Boris Kunst
said.
Kresimir Sever, president of the Independent Trade Unions (NHS),
the only union federation which did not sign the agreement,
welcomed the SSSH's decision, adding the unions would have a lot of
work to do together due to changes to the Labour Act.
(hina) rml