Zagreb, 4 December 2009 – After the adoption of the new Labour Code in the Croatian Parliament, the Union of Autonomous Trade Unions of Croatia (UATUC) sent the following press release to the media:

The Labour Code adopted in the Croatian Parliament is the expression of neoliberal cynicism of those in power: harmonisation with the EU acquis communautaires was used for further degradation of labour and workers what is contrary to the spirit of the European acquis. As a consequence, health and safety of workers will be endangered through flexible organisation of working time and work existence will be blackmailed through consecutive conclusion of fixed-term employment contracts.

The ink on the Code has not dried yet and there are already announcements that the employers are adapting themselves to use the new possibilities of organizing working time in order to dismiss additional number of workers. “Due respect” to each of the 79 MPs who have voted for the new Labour Code because their “vision” has just legalized the years-long employers’ practice of non-paying overtime work in favour of their larger profit! They have also legalized the labour market where the “rule of the stronger” prevails.

What is frightening is the heartlessness of the members of the Croatian Parliament (all due respect for those MPs who voted against or who left the assembly hall) who have adopted such a Government’s proposal. Some of them have so far proved to be “tough” fighters for personal privileges (for example wages and pensions for which they adopted their own acts and are not under scope of general regulations) while the voters have heard their voice for the first time when they wanted tax payers to pay for their parking! Without an ounce of shame, they have built their own parallel world at the expense of deprived workers!