Minister Sinisa Hajdas Doncic said today HZ Cargo urgently had to 'get rid' of 1,200-1,500 of its 3,000 employees to avoid bankruptcy. He said they would not be given classic termination notices but be provided for through the Railway Fund, and hoped the unions would support this plan.
Croatian Railway Workers' Union president Zoran Marsic told Hina the Railway Fund was set up ten years ago to help redundant HZ workers, ensuring a net severance pay of HRK 160,000 which a worker could collect in a lump sum or receive a gross monthly amount of HRK 4,200 over three years. If there is work, a worker can be called back to HZ, he added.
He said the union wanted to prevent bankruptcy at any cost so it was willing to accept the minister's solution, but expected the new management to take firm steps to save the company.
Train Dispatchers' Union secretary Anto Ilicic said downsizing was necessary because of the limited work available but blamed Hajdas Doncic in an open letter for a failed attempt to privatise HZ Cargo because he led the process with Romania's Feroviar company, which Ilicic said had dubious references.