ZAGREB, Apr 30 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on Friday released a message to the entire Croatian population on the occasion of Labour Day - May 1. Following are excerpts from the message in unofficial translation:
Reminding of the great influence Christian social teachings have had on social life, attitude towards work and social issues in the resurrected democratic Croatia, President Tudjman said: "Let us bear in mind that even today, in a free homeland, in which we set before us the great duty that the Croatian state which we have won through such hardship must be a social one as well, very difficult tasks stand before us." "I appeal to all citizens from all social strata and classes to celebrate the traditional May 1, Labour Day, in a dignified and proud manner." "Further successes in working and creative achievements aimed at realising better living conditions, a better and happier life for a
ZAGREB, Apr 30 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on Friday
released a message to the entire Croatian population on the
occasion of Labour Day - May 1.
Following are excerpts from the message in unofficial
translation:
Reminding of the great influence Christian social teachings have
had on social life, attitude towards work and social issues in the
resurrected democratic Croatia, President Tudjman said:
"Let us bear in mind that even today, in a free homeland, in which we
set before us the great duty that the Croatian state which we have
won through such hardship must be a social one as well, very
difficult tasks stand before us."
"I appeal to all citizens from all social strata and classes to
celebrate the traditional May 1, Labour Day, in a dignified and
proud manner."
"Further successes in working and creative achievements aimed at
realising better living conditions, a better and happier life for
all people, from the elderly to the young, for the future of young
generations in a free homeland and safe Croatia can be achieved only
through the policy of concord we have implemented so far, and not by
inciting social rifts, idleness, or by abusing guaranteed
freedoms."
"We have serious problems in our social life. Hereby I primarily
refer to the greed of the very rich, and the presence of decadent
civilisational phenomena of the so called 'open' society."
"The sources of such phenomena and deviations are least to be sought
in the weaknesses of the authorities. They are caused by a negative
legacy and civilisational influences, and in particular by the
global economic crisis, as well as by the political and war hot
spots."
"All this has affected the crisis phenomena in our economic and
financial life. Negative phenomena in all social strata have
however, certainly also contributed to this state of affairs."
"Croatia's authorities must be more resolute in dealing with all
violations of the law in all fields of economic and public life."
"In a community with all social subjects, the authorities must
ensure not only higher salaries of the employed, and higher
pensions especially, but also that these be regularly paid out."
"To achieve this, we must achieve full cooperation among the
authorities, entrepreneurial management, and trade union
associations, whose place is not to take part in causing political
unrest and a possibly ominous chaos, but to attempt to
systematically and gradually improve working and living
conditions."
"We can truly resolve this successfully only through concord, joint
efforts and the spiritual strengths of the entire Croatian people,
and of the overall organisation of Croatian authorities on the
local and state level. Only through increased responsibility for
the implementation of state policy, but also by acknowledging what
has been achieved, by preserving social peace, can we build
prosperity and social justice, create conditions for the
individual's, the family's and the entire Croatian people's
happiness, in a democratically developed, strong, and world-
respected Croatia," President Tudjman's message said.
(hina) ha jn