SPLIT, Dec 10 (Hina) - "Croatia's economy has gone bankrupt and we must change it," the president of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Croatia (SSSH), Davor Juric, told a protest meeting organised in Split on Friday, on
the occasion of Human Rights Day. Speaking at the meeting, which was held under the slogan "Right to Work and Salary", Juric said unions had to fight toward securing respect for constitutional rights and collective agreements and called on workers to vote for changes at the upcoming elections. A total of 700,000 jobs have been lost since the establishment of the independent Croatian state. Only those close to power structures or working outside of the system are working today, Juric said. The economic policy of the ruling party has failed to create conditions for investments and new jobs, but rather enabled the politically correct ones to acquire wealth as well as the pauperisati
SPLIT, Dec 10 (Hina) - "Croatia's economy has gone bankrupt and we
must change it," the president of the Federation of Independent
Trade Unions of Croatia (SSSH), Davor Juric, told a protest meeting
organised in Split on Friday, on the occasion of Human Rights Day.
Speaking at the meeting, which was held under the slogan "Right to
Work and Salary", Juric said unions had to fight toward securing
respect for constitutional rights and collective agreements and
called on workers to vote for changes at the upcoming elections.
A total of 700,000 jobs have been lost since the establishment of
the independent Croatian state. Only those close to power
structures or working outside of the system are working today,
Juric said.
The economic policy of the ruling party has failed to create
conditions for investments and new jobs, but rather enabled the
politically correct ones to acquire wealth as well as the
pauperisation of workers, pensioners, the youth, and the
unemployed.
"The only form of production functioning in Croatia these days is
the production of unemployment", Juric assessed.
The Government has turned a deaf ear to repeated union warnings and
calls requesting the change of the macroeconomic framework of
economy. On the contrary, "a project of generating tycoons" was
devised, and it is still being systematically implemented,
resulting in the loss of jobs and pauperisation.
Juric reiterated that the SSSH is not any party's office. "We have
offered all parties an agreement on a just Croatia and all future
governments will have to fulfil obligations from that agreement. We
will continue to be a constructive opposition to any authority",
Juric said.
He said the SSSH had given up its initial idea of organising the
protest in Zagreb's central Ban Jelacic square due to President
Franjo Tudjman's illness, deciding to hold smaller meetings in
county centres.
Representatives of Split County and town mayors as well as
representatives of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Employment
Bureau, Privatisation Fund, and Pension Insurance Fund failed to
appear at the meeting, although they had been invited.
(hina) rml ,