ZAGREB, Dec 26 (Hina) - At the very end of this year, the government, the employers and the unions signed a social agreement called Partnership for Development, defining the main goals in the country's economic and social development
for the next three years. The agreement was signed by four of five union federations, while the Independent Croatian Trade Unions refused to sign it, describing the agreement as "too general". Most unions decided to accept the social truce, following a series of strikes staged during the year mostly in public and state-owned companies due to terminated collective agreements and announced restructuring. The Croatian parliament in February adopted changes to the Labour Act, reducing the number of working hours in a week from 42 to 40 and changing the name employee into worker. In April the government adopted decrees on coefficients for state and public services and in June it set the basic s
ZAGREB, Dec 26 (Hina) - At the very end of this year, the government,
the employers and the unions signed a social agreement called
Partnership for Development, defining the main goals in the
country's economic and social development for the next three
years.
The agreement was signed by four of five union federations, while
the Independent Croatian Trade Unions refused to sign it,
describing the agreement as "too general".
Most unions decided to accept the social truce, following a series
of strikes staged during the year mostly in public and state-owned
companies due to terminated collective agreements and announced
restructuring.
The Croatian parliament in February adopted changes to the Labour
Act, reducing the number of working hours in a week from 42 to 40 and
changing the name employee into worker.
In April the government adopted decrees on coefficients for state
and public services and in June it set the basic salary in state
administration and public services at 4,232 kuna, which is a seven
percent decrease.
The decrees and the reduced basic salary resulted in a decrease in
salaries, prompting several thousand public servants to gather at a
protest rally in downtown Zagreb in June.
The government and the unions of public and state servants in
October started negotiations on basic collective agreements for
public and state services. The agreements, guaranteeing the same
level of salaries in 2002, were signed after two months of
negotiating.
In December the government set up an office for social partnership,
with Vitomir Begovic at its helm. The office is in charge of
conducting and coordinating social dialogue both at the local and
national level.
At the beginning of the year, the authorities started implementing
the Law on the Increase of Pensions in an effort to adjust pensions
to the growth of salaries. The pensions of some 811,000 pensioners
were expected to increase from 0.5 to 20%, but the real increase was
felt by some 600,000 pensioners.
The heads of the Agency for the Supervision of Pension Insurance
Funds and the Central Register of Insurees were appointed in March,
which accelerated preparations for the official start of the
pension reform on January 1, 2002.
The authorities announced the decentralisation of the welfare
system, which will include the transfer of welfare centres and
pensioners homes to be within the competence of local self-
government. The welfare system is expected to be decentralised by
2003.
In September the government adopted a package of social laws
abolishing maternity leave in the duration of three years for the
mothers of twins, and for the third and every following child, and
introducing the age limit and property qualifications for child
allowances.
The laws also reduced privileged pensions and the minimum
compensation for workers on sick leave.
As part of the health reform, the parliament in September adopted a
new law on health insurance defining basic health services. In
2002, insurees will be paying 15, 25, 50, 75 and 80 percent of the
price of individual health services.
The law also introduces additional health insurance enabling the
insurees to cover the difference between the actual costs of health
services and the basic services envisaged by the law.
In October, a fear of possible terrorist attacks with anthrax
spores spread throughout the country. Fortunately, no anthrax
spores were discovered in suspicious letters.
(hina) sb rml