ZAGREB, Feb 2 (Hina) - Presidents of five Croatian union federations are wary of supporting Finance Minister Mate Crkvenac, who on Tuesday announced that the Government would soon call on unions and employers to make a social pact
which would last three to five years. Crkvenac also said that during the pact the Government would try to preserve stability and stimulate economic growth. The head of the Association of Workers' Unions of Croatia (URSH), Boris Kunst, said the Government, employers and unions had to reach a social agreement which would guarantee social peace, however, during the period Crkvenac mentioned the Government must not investigate solutions for economic recovery and greater social stability on its own. "In that period, the Government, employers and unions must cooperate and we are ready to accept such an agreement," Kunst said, adding the URSH would present its own draft social agreem
ZAGREB, Feb 2 (Hina) - Presidents of five Croatian union
federations are wary of supporting Finance Minister Mate Crkvenac,
who on Tuesday announced that the Government would soon call on
unions and employers to make a social pact which would last three to
five years. Crkvenac also said that during the pact the Government
would try to preserve stability and stimulate economic growth.
The head of the Association of Workers' Unions of Croatia (URSH),
Boris Kunst, said the Government, employers and unions had to reach
a social agreement which would guarantee social peace, however,
during the period Crkvenac mentioned the Government must not
investigate solutions for economic recovery and greater social
stability on its own. "In that period, the Government, employers
and unions must cooperate and we are ready to accept such an
agreement," Kunst said, adding the URSH would present its own draft
social agreement on Friday.
The president of the Croatian Unions' Association (HUS) Zdenko
Mucnjak recalled HUS's initiative of last year, which offered the
Government and employers the adoption of a one-year social pact.
"We still absolutely support a social consensus. We will forward to
the Government a draft social agreement, in which we will emphasise
the request that all important economic and social issues be
discussed at the Economic-Social Council (GSV)," Mucnjak said.
"We support the idea of a social pact because it is in the interest
of citizens," said the president of the Federation of Croatian
Unions of Public Services, Vilim Ribic. "Whether we will sign it
depends on its content. We expect sacrifices to be distributed
evenly and civil servants should not carry the biggest part of the
burden," he said.
The Independent Croatian Unions (HNS) are ready to discuss a social
pact only after the Government has presented its strategy of
economic development. "Only then can we discuss social peace and
what we are planning to achieve with it," HNS president Kresimir
Sever said.
The president of the Federation of Independent Workers' Unions of
Croatia (SSSH) Davor Juric said a higher level of unity of the three
social partners was a precondition for the improvement of the
social and economic situation.
(hina) rml