SSSH Marked Labor Day with a Protest in Zagreb

Zagreb, May 1 2022 – The Union of Autonomous Trade Unions of Croatia (SSSH) marked the International Labor Day with a protest march under the slogan “For a Croatia of Satisfied Workers”. The parade started in front of the Workers’ Hall and ended in front of the headquarters of the Croatian Employers’ Association (HUP), where union leaders delivered speeches.

Union Demands

The union parade, which symbolically included a tractor with a trailer, carried banners and demanded:

• normal working hours,
• higher wages,
• permanent contracts.

The main demands of the unions were wage increases and an increase in the number of collective agreements, especially sectoral ones in the private sector, and more effective monitoring of their implementation. They warned that the standard and real value of wages are threatened by inflation and stated that wage growth is the only way to maintain a decent life.

Messages from Union Leaders

Mladen Novosel, president of SSSH, told employers and the Government: “Low labor costs in Croatia are a thing of the past.” He emphasized that if employers continue to refuse to negotiate, strikes and industrial actions will follow more than ever.

Novosel demanded that the average salary in Croatia by 2026 be at least 1500 euros, and the minimum 750 euros net. He also warned about the discrimination of workers who work even on Labor Day, as well as the mass exodus of workers from Croatia: “There will be no country on earth from which you can bring workers to work for free.”

Situation in the Sectors

Denis Paradiš, president of PPDIV, warned that HUP is once again refusing collective bargaining in the agriculture, food, and construction industries. He announced that the unions will not give up on this demand.

Stjepan Lisičak, president of the Transport and Communications Union of Croatia, pointed out that drivers responsible for the lives of passengers have a salary of 5200 kuna for more than 200 hours of work per month. He announced radical actions to improve conditions.

Leaders of other sectoral unions – energy, chemistry, education, culture, and media – also addressed the protest, agreeing that the solution lies in the broad application of household and sectoral collective agreements.

Conclusion

Under the slogan “Together We Are Stronger”, the unions sent a clear message: wage growth, quality collective agreements, and better supervision of their implementation are key to a Croatia of Satisfied Workers. Union members called on all workers to organize, join a union, and collectively fight for their rights.