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Zagreb - Opposition parties listed a number of objections to the proposed amendments to the Labor Act on Thursday, while the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) claimed they were a step forward that would boost employment, and wage and pension growth.
The bill has been prepared for years and we expected a lot, but got very little, the leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Peđa Grbin said. This proposal is telling us to stand by the capitalists and employers, Katarina Peović of the Workers' Front (RF) added ahead of the formal parliamentary debate on the proposal to amend the Labour Act.
If this bill is adopted, in times of crisis employers will be able to reduce workers' wages by 30% or more, without having to explain it with a drop in income. Workers will work without a weekly rest because the concept of additional work is being introduced, said Peović.
The opposition also claims that the proposed solutions will "devastate" the trade union scene, specifically non-representative unions.
Nikola Grmoja (Bridge) called out the ruling majority because it wants to put unions under its control by law and in that way destroy union pluralism.
Marijan Pavliček (Sovereignists) said that amendments to labour legislation are necessary, warning that one-fifth of workers have fixed-term contracts. They cannot plan for the future, so they are emigrating from Croatia, he added.
He questioned the idea of working until the age of 70 and wondered whether it was possible for bricklayers and plumbers to work until that age. The average life expectancy is 73 years, we could easily have a "from work to grave" situation, he added.
Sandra Benčić (Green-Left Bloc) also warned of fixed-term work, dissatisfied that their proposals to narrow down the reasons for this type of work was not accepted. She also said that the issues of platform and agency work or the protection of pregnant women working on a fixed-term basis have not been adequately regulated.
Željko Pavić (Social Democrats) warned that workers are still being paid benefits instead of wages, on which contributions are not calculated, which then affects pensions.
The HDZ praised the government's proposals, with Majda Burić saying it was a step forward and an improvement on the labour legislation and that it will stimulate employment, and wage and pension growth.