Jandroković: Welfare of workers, their families must be taken care of

Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Monday issued a message for International Workers' Day, stressing that everyone should work to constantly improve labour legislation to make it respond to new challenges, keep it applicable and take care of the welfare of workers and their families.

Workers have come a long way since the protests in Chicago in 1886 and the struggle for the recognition of basic workers' rights and fairer working conditions. However, the times we live in constantly present new challenges to them - from changes due to galloping technological progress, digitalisation and application of artificial intelligence to those caused by migration and other new circumstances on the labor market, Jadroković said.

In such circumstances, workers are required to have an increasing ability to adapt to new conditions, constantly acquire new knowledge and skills, as well as adopt new forms of work flexibility. At the same time, effective and sustainable protection of workers and their rights remains an issue of the utmost importance, he said.

The parliament speaker recalled in his message that 1 May is also the holiday of St. Joseph the Worker, the patron of work and workers, but also the patron of families and Croatia.

Families are extremely exposed to the consequences of changes in the working environment, Jandroković notes.

The issue of work-life balance therefore continues to demand exceptional attention, globally and locally. We are trying to achieve a good work-life balance with legislative changes to allow shop workers in Croatia to have a non-working Sunday, Jandroković said.

"Growing changes in the labor market require permanent dialogue between decision-makers and social partners as well as reflection on current and future challenges. Constantly improving the legislative framework to make it respond to new challenges, keeping it applicable and taking care of the welfare of workers and their families - these are the tasks that must be at the center of all our actions. Once again, I wish you all the best on International Workers' Day," Jandroković said.