The demonstration was organized in Zagreb, on St. Mark’s Square, the seat of the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Croatian Parliament. This industrial action was targeted in particular at companies currently operating with difficulties, where workers are not receiving their wages and other material rights. At the moment, there are about 70 such companies, employing more than 70,000 workers. Demonstrations gathered approximately 1,500 workers, the number which is allowed to demonstrate in front of the Government and the Parliament, according to the new law on public gatherings.
Why demonstrations:
Because the current Croatian government, like all the former ones, allowed and allows decline of the Croatian industry;
Because the financial transaction tax was not introduced, and the banks are allowed to take out the profit, without any taxes, earned at the burden of workers and the economy;
Because from the election campaign until today the Government has on several occasions announced progress, and the only thing we witness is the continuation of the plunge of economic activity;
Because the Government announced investments, and judging by the situation – and the conduct of the banks – who are withdrawing funds from their Croatian branches showing their appreciation of the investment possibilities in Croatia – investors only run away from Croatia;
Because we do not want to go bail for the failures of the Government;
Because surviving is becoming increasingly difficult, with the bureaucratic machinery taking more and more, and giving nothing;
Our attempts to influence the executive power through arguments-based discussions through institutions have been faced with lack of understanding and disrespect typical of politicians who are out of their depth. Hence we are determined through demonstrations to express our disagreement with fatal policies and incompetent politicians whose actions bring our lives seriously at stake.
Joint solidarity action with the demands:
Initiate production, adoption of the reindustrialization policy, developing the development strategy of Croatia, as well as the sectoral strategies;
Adoption of measures for the preservation of jobs and the creation of new ones (the number of preserved or new jobs should become a fundamental criterion for measuring the success of doing business and for the awarding of grants);
Establishing a system that will guarantee the payment of all the elements of a wage to a worker;
Increase of wages in line with the increase of productivity and the costs of living;
Respect and inclusion of social partners in a real, and not a formal social dialogue.
Demonstrations in the media:
http://www.tportal.hr/biznis/gospodarstvo/227700/Tisuce-prosvjednika-u-zivom-zidu-za-obranu-radnih-mjesta.html
http://www.novilist.hr/Vijesti/Hrvatska/Zivi-zid-obespravljeni-radnici-u-obrani-radnih-mjesta-na-Markovom-trgu
http://www.jutarnji.hr/template/article/article-print.jsp?id=1068040
http://www.24sata.hr/news/prosvjed-na-markovom-trgu-posao-i-placa-a-ne-burza-290494
http://www.hrt.hr/index.php?id=vijesti-clanak&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=190524&tx_ttnews[backPid]=850&cHash=309a7fdabe
http://dnevnik.hr/vijesti/hrvatska/prosvjedna-setnja-zagrebom-sindikalci-krecu-na-markov-trg.html
http://www.rtl.hr/vijesti/novosti/568778/dosta-je-gubljenja-radnih-mjesta-i-rada-bez-place/
http://www.sssh.hr/hr/vise/nacionalne-aktivnosti-72/za-obranu-radnih-mjesta-183
Dijana Šobota
Executive Secretary for International Cooperation
