ZAGREB, June 18 (Hina) - Economic experts said on Tuesday that workers' rights in Croatia would have to be reduced with the country's rapprochement with the European Union, however, they added that it was still too early for cuts as
long as the unemployment rate was 24 percent.
ZAGREB, June 18 (Hina) - Economic experts said on Tuesday that
workers' rights in Croatia would have to be reduced with the
country's rapprochement with the European Union, however, they
added that it was still too early for cuts as long as the
unemployment rate was 24 percent. #L#
Job security, as poor as it may be, must not be reduced before
unemployment starts decreasing, said economists, unionists and few
employers who attended a round table discussion on workers rights,
organised in Zagreb today by four union federations.
Mate Babic of the Faculty of Economy said that reducing workers'
rights would not solve any important problem because it was not
workers' rights that had caused problems. Problems were caused by
the wrong privatisation, which resulted in a high unemployment rate
and a poor economic policy, he said.
Economic expert Guste Santini said it made no sense to look for a way
out of the current crisis by reducing workers' rights, as it was
impossible to discuss high wages with a GDP of only USD 4,500
per capita.
Vice-Premier Slavko Linic said making the market more flexible
would not significantly contribute to the economic activity, but
was nevertheless important in combating grey economy.
Linic conceded that workers were often unable to realise their
legally guaranteed rights and that privatisation irregularities
had not been corrected, but he said the inefficient judicial system
was responsible for that.
He reminded that in the first half of its mandate the government had
successfully launched pension and health reforms, improved credit
conditions, and almost completely solved the problem of
illiquidity.
(hina) rml sb