The two trade union federations also called on the government and employers to foster true dialogue and to conduct concerted action aimed at achieving social justice and dignified work.
The Church, and the SSSH and the NHS share the values of unity, dignity and solidarity, the federations say in the open letter which they also forwarded to the government and the Croatian Employers' Association (HUP).
All of us can enhance the living standards of workers through our concerted action, and the dignity of work and workers should be given precedence over market forces and freedom of capital, the SSSH ansd NHS wrote in their letter.
They also call on other religious communities, international organisations, civil society associations, intellectuals and other protagonists to set up an alliance for economic and social justice at the national and global level.
NHS and SSSH unionists participated in the International Conference “From Populorum progressio to Laudato si’"organised by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development in the Vatican’s New Synod Hall from 23 to 24 November 2017.
The two-day meeting of the Catholic Church leadership and unionists focused on activities of trade unions and on sustainable and fraternal human development.
In his letter to the participants, Pope Francis writes that "work can not be considered as a commodity or a mere tool in the production chain of goods and services, but rather, since it is the foundation for development, it takes priority over any other factor of production, including capital."
"Hence the ethical imperative of 'defending jobs', and of creating new ones in proportion to the increase in economic viability, as well as ensuring the dignity of the work itself," the pontiff wrote in his address to the conference in the Vatican.