Labour Minister Mirando Mrsic recalled the government's conclusion of August 2 to cancel the basic collective agreement for public services because of significantly different economic circumstances, and that negotiations on amendments to this agreement were under way.
He said the branch agreements should be amended regardless of whether the basic agreement was eventually cancelled or amended in order to equalise the material rights of public sector employees.
The government has appointed its negotiating committees for amendments to collective agreements in welfare, health care, culture, elementary schools, secondary schools, science and high education.
The government also decided that identity cards issued before 1 January 2003 would not be allowed to cross the state border as of Croatia's accession to the European Union, scheduled for July 1, 2013.
Deputy Interior Minister Evelin Tonkovic said the reason was the European Commission's opinion that the protection elements in those cards did not meet international standards, making the cards easy to forge.
Also today, Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic once again dismissed claims that Transport Minister Sinisa Hajdas Doncic and associates tried to employ Krunoslav Sams at Zagreb Airport, saying he was a senior state employee being transferred to a different position for which there was no need to invite applications.
Milanovic said granting a concession on the airport was a very important job because of its worth and for Croatia's reputation. "We have a significant French investor here... The airport is not being sold. The state must supervise that through some people. That is a political and administrative responsibility."
Milanovic said the transport minister was in charge of that job and that Hajdas Doncic and his associates had worked hard to ensure supervision of the concession agreement. "He will have my full support in that," he said, adding that he expected the minister to choose a person for that job and that person to answer to the minister who, he said, answered to the prime minister, the government and parliament.
Milanovic said Sams was highly qualified and that he worked for the previous government as well.