Zagreb, 7 October 2009 – Union of Autonomous Trade Unions of Croatia and Independent Trade Unions of Croatia (NHS), two Croatian confederation affiliated to ITUC, jointly marked World Day for Decent Work. In a letter sent to Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, UATUC and NHS asked for support in defending the decency of work and of the workers, through planned amendments of the Labour Law.

Reminding that as ILO member Croatia is obliged to participate in fulfilling the ILO Decent Work Agenda, UATUC and NHS proposed that in future Government should be actively included in marking the World Day for Decent Work, thus contributing to raising awareness about the need to return the decency to the work of Croatian Workers. It should be the aim of every government to secure the decent job for every worker and full respect of the workers’ rights, says the letter signed by UATUC President Ana Knežević and NHS President Krešimir Sever.

The letter to the Prime Minister was accompanied with 10 000 postcards, with pictures from 1^st May parade and messages about need to protect the decency of Croatian workers, which were also sent to the addresses of Government Ministers, parliamentary clubs and Croatian Employers Association.

UATUC Women and Youth sections also joined marking the 7^th October. The Women Section organized public event on the main square in Zagreb during which they warned to the fact that women are in average still paid 20 percent less than men, and consequently demanded a law that would stipulate that women pay all products and services 20 percent less. Women’s work is underpaid, underestimated and humiliated, and women more often than men work in the grey economy, on fix term contracts and on low paid jobs, without possibilities of professional development - says the leaflet which was distributed to citizens during the event.

In a joint letter sent to the Prime Minister UATUC Youth Section and NHS Youth Board reminded on the problems young people are facing on the labour market, their unemployment rate being almost double as that of general population, warning that pushing the most valuable potential of the society to the margins presents a threat for the development of democratic society and just globalisation, at the same time amplifying the serious demographic problems Croatia is facing.