Zagreb, 22 October 2009 – In the course of one month two unions, Seafarers’ Union of Croatia and Autonomous Trade Union of Health Care and Social Protection Service of Croatia, have left the Union of Autonomous Trade Unions of Croatia.

Autonomous Trade Union of Health Care and Social Protection Service (SSZSSH) announced its leave from the confederation and affiliation to the Association of Croatian Unions on the 22 September. The reasons for this decision lay in quintessential and day-to-day discrepancies between SSZSSH and UATUC, mostly caused by the inability of formulating joint positions inside the confederation gathering both industrial and public sector unions, said Spomenka Abveršek, SSZSSH President and until this decision UATUC Vice-President for public sector. SSZSSH is expecting to better represent the interests of its members inside the Association of Croatian Unions whose members are predominantly the public sector unions.

The Seafarers’ Unions of Croatia (SPH) made its decision on leaving the confederation on the Main Board meeting on 21 October. The main reason for leaving being the dissatisfaction with inefficiency of the trade union movement, SPH decided to stay outside any confederation by now, while participating in activities of UATUC and affiliated unions whenever they recognize their interests in them.