NEWS FROM THE OLD WEBSITE OF NOVI SINDIKAT

THE PATRIOTS SIGN A NEW COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT!

8 JULY 2013

Tonight, after a thirteen-day strike, the Ministry of Labour and Pension System completed negotiations between deminers and representatives of HUP, resulting in a transitional collective agreement valid until the end of the year.

Under the new agreement, deminers will receive HRK 13,000 gross for a full working month, and a minimum of HRK 4,000 gross for months when they are not working. Starting next year, the maximum gross salary will increase to HRK 13,300, with an additional 0.5% per year of work experience.

The agreement was signed with employers from 27 HUP member companies. This will require extending the collective agreement to non-member companies and joint advocacy for increased budget funding for demining.

The conclusion of a collective agreement with improved material benefits for deminers demonstrates that perseverance, patience, and collective strength can achieve better working conditions even during a crisis. However, this is not the end the union will continue to fight for further improvements in the rights of workers in the demining sector.

COURT REJECTS HUP LAWSUIT – DEMINERS ENTER EIGHTH DAY OF STRIKE

3 JULY 2013

Following the dismissal of HUP’s lawsuit by the County Court in Zagreb on 2 July, which attempted to challenge the legality of the deminers’ strike, the strike entered its eighth day. The court rejected the employers’ claim that the strike should only occur at deminers’ workplaces, which are effectively minefields throughout Croatia.

Yesterday afternoon, another in a series of meetings between the strike committee and HUP (Croatian Employers’ Association) representatives was held at the Office for Mine Action of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, during which no progress was made in the employers’ positions. The employers repeated their previously stated offer to adopt the provisions of the old collective agreement; however, the pyrotechnicians are not backing down from their demands for increased material rights and reject HUP’s claims that it is impossible to maintain business operations even with the payment of salaries according to the old collective agreement, because how is it then possible that some employers regularly pay salaries that are even higher than those established by the old collective agreement and still continue to operate normally?

On 3 July at 9 a.m., deminers opened their camp to the media to share personal reasons for striking and the existential challenges they face while supporting their families under conditions of total job insecurity.

STRIKE OF MINE WORKERS BEGINS

26 JUNE 2013

Today, 306 deminers from across Croatia gathered at Franjo Tuđman Square in Zagreb. Around 11:30 a.m., the protest procession moved toward Ban Josip Jelačić Square, where a press conference was held. As a result of the pressure from the first day of the strike, a meeting between the strike committee and the employers’ association was scheduled for the next day at 10 a.m. to discuss a new collective agreement.

The strike continues, with deminers set to gather again at 9 a.m. tomorrow at Franjo Tuđman Square, awaiting the strike committee’s report.

HUMANITARIAN DEMINING STRIKE ANNOUNCED

21 JUNE 2013

A meeting of representatives of Novi sindikat, the Croatian Trade Union of Humanitarian Demining, and the Independent Trade Union of Croatia was held in Osijek today. A strike committee was formed to organize the deminers’ strike scheduled for Wednesday, 26 June 2013. Following the meeting, a press conference was held where union representatives explained the reasons for the strike and the long-standing dissatisfaction of workers in the demining sector.

The strike was called due to failed national-level negotiations for a new collective agreement, during which several issues related to salaries and other material rights remained unresolved. The unions expressed dissatisfaction with the Croatian Employers’ Association’s approach to collective bargaining. Workers from 27 HUP-member companies are prepared to fight for a collective agreement that ensures existential security for deminers’ families and restores dignity to the profession.

On 26 June at 9 a.m., demining technicians and other workers from across Croatia will gather at Franjo Tuđman Square in Zagreb to begin their protest activities and send a message to employers that they will not work without a collective agreement.

STRIKE OF ALL CROATIA AIRLINES EMPLOYEES

17 MAY 2013

As you may already be aware, the manner of negotiation between the Management and the unions HSPP and SKOZ has shown that the Management has an order to do everything to worsen the situation and reduce the possibilities for our company’s survival. Through this approach and the development of events, it is clearly shown that we are all scheduled “for the cull.” Meaning – EVERYONE!!!

The fact that you are currently not participating in these efforts to save the company does not release you from responsibility for the future. Only if you too raise your voice against the destruction of the company by such incompetent leadership—under whatever name it is presented: bankruptcy, insolvency, the selling off of the family silver—do we have a chance for survival.

WE ARE ALL CROATIA AIRLINES!

NOVI SINDIKAT SUPPORTS THE IDEA OF THE BUYOUT OF THE INSTITUTE OF IMMUNOLOGY BY CITIZENS

Novi sindikat supports the idea of a group of citizens that wants to create the conditions for a civic buyout of the Institute of Immunology and is preparing to participate in the preparation and implementation of the buyout project, as it believes that the participation of Croatian citizens in the ownership and management of the Institute of Immunology is a high-quality solution in the interest of the citizens and so far the only real alternative to the likely handover of the Institute of Immunology into the hands of big capital, and that one of the social roles of the union is to support such initiatives and participate in them.

The initiators of the idea – Aleksandar Soltyšik, Ivan Rude, Đuro Lubura, Ivan Gašpar, and Leo Bulat – explained and presented the idea in the following way:

The Government of the Republic of Croatia has passed a Decision on the sale of the Institute of Immunology from Zagreb (IZ), a company of special strategic interest for the Republic of Croatia. This is a special part of the healthcare system extremely important for the health of every citizen of the Republic of Croatia because, among other things, it produced completely safe blood derivatives that guarantee that neither we nor our children can be infected with secondary infections such as HIV, hepatitis, etc. In addition, IZ possesses extremely valuable biological materials – for example, the Edmonston-Zagreb vaccine strain, the world’s best measles vaccine according to the World Health Organization, which prefers the IZ vaccine after joint clinical research, but also other individual and combined viral and bacterial vaccines. Precisely these vaccines are of great value and a potential “bait” for various traders and brokers who look exclusively at their own profit.

Although we are of the opinion that such a company must permanently remain in state ownership, since the decision on its sale has already been made, we decided to protect it in a way that enables all citizens of the Republic of Croatia to be its owners. We are of the opinion that it is not permissible for anyone to make a profit on the blood of voluntary donors.

For this purpose, a group of citizens founded the company Visia Croatica d.o.o. (OIB: 93610253794) which, among eight bidders, qualified in the previous process for the purchase of IZ. Along with the main company Visia Croatica d.o.o., we also founded a limited partnership through which we will collect funds for the purchase and investment in IZ in a way that enables every citizen and entrepreneur an investment that will guarantee long-term return on investment and profit, and the entire venture and protection of the Institute of Immunology from speculative capital. A limited partnership, as a partnership of persons, prevents a takeover by capital because every investor, regardless of the amount of the stake, has one vote. In this way, we will enable IZ to remain in the hands of citizens and entrepreneurs and to restore its production for the permanent benefit of all of us and our children. Since IZ, with good management, is a highly profitable company, in this way exclusively citizen-investors will have long-term financial benefits from the Institute of Immunology.

The idea is to introduce another 30-50 honorable people into the ownership structure of Visia Croatica d.o.o. in the shortest possible time, who would guarantee the honest implementation of the project with their personal integrity. It is extremely important to note that the members of the company Visia Croatica d.o.o. (currently the five people listed above, and later another 30-50) do not have, nor will they ever have, any financial benefit arising from their business shares. If they wish to realize financial benefit, they can in a future phase, like every other citizen, pay their limited partnership stake for the purchase and investment in the Institute of Immunology. The members of the company Visia Croatica d.o.o. have the sole task of being responsible owners on behalf of all investors and choosing professional and honest people to manage and supervise the Institute of Immunology.

Members of Novi sindikat will be informed in a timely manner about the next steps in the realization of this project.

STRIKE AT THE STUDENT CENTER IN ZAGREB 

The Independent Union of Student Center Employees of the Republic of Croatia, the Independent Union of Science and Higher Education, the Independent Union of Zagreb Student Center Workers, and the Croatian Union of Culture Workers started a strike of Zagreb Student Center workers on Wednesday, November 16, at 6 a.m. at all locations where the employer conducts its business activities.

The strike will last until the strike demand is met, or until the signing of the agreed text of the Collective Agreement, and Novi sindikat provides full, solidary, friendly, and unconditional support to the strike demand and all strike activities that will be carried out!

Today, in the Municipality of Okučani, the Collective Agreement for the deminers of the company Mungos razminiranje d.o.o. was signed. In the Okučani Municipal Hall, union representatives of the employees of Mungos razminiranje signed the agreement with the company’s director, Damir Magdić. This act officially ended the deminers’ protest, which had lasted for several weeks. The signing ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia Tihomir Orešković, Minister of the Interior Vlaho Orepić, Assistant Minister Lidija Pelivan Stipetić, Prefect of Brod-Posavina County Danijel Marušić, Mayor of Okučani Aca Vidaković, and the Director of the Croatian Mine Action Center, Dražen Jakopec.

The Path Toward a Branch Collective Agreement

This is the first step in resolving issues related to the demining profession, and the signing of a branch collective agreement is expected soon, which will cover all deminers—over 600 of them.

The President of Novi sindikat, Mario Iveković, emphasized that he considers this Collective Agreement extremely important, not only for Mungos but for the entire demining sector.

“For the last 15 years, strikes were frequent. This is the first time that someone from a high government level has addressed this problem,” he noted. “This year, a law came into force that limited the maximum square footage a deminer can clear. The Collective Agreement is the second step, and I hope the third will be the signing of the branch collective agreement. We have signed an agreement in which the Minister of the Interior committed to helping us achieve that. We thank him for the support; I believe we have enough time to regulate these relations,” said Iveković.

Since all deminers deserve the conditions negotiated for Mungos, Novi sindikat will launch an initiative next week to conclude a branch collective agreement for the demining sector. They expect the full fulfillment of the Prime Minister’s and Minister’s promises to assist in the upcoming negotiations.

Support from Prime Minister Orešković and Minister Orepić

Prime Minister Tihomir Orešković thanked everyone performing the honorable work of demining and expressed his desire for success in clearing the remaining mine-polluted territory of Croatia.

Minister of the Interior Vlaho Orepić stated that this is a matter of protecting the public interest. According to Minister Orepić, the Collective Agreement, which enters into force on September 1 of this year, aims to protect those doing the actual work, rather than those seeking to extract money through the business. “I note that at this moment, you have about 550 people directly engaged in demining, but you have 47 firms involved in the business. Roughly, the ratio is one person working while two ‘drain’ the workers. We will change these relations, and rest assured, as long as I am here, that is how it will work,” concluded Minister Orepić.

Following the signing, Government and union representatives visited the exhibition stalls of Mungos and the Croatian Mine Action Center, where deminers presented equipment and data related to mine action in the Republic of Croatia.

Novi sindikat thanks everyone who supported the deminers during the protest and multi-week strike, as well as all media outlets whose quality reporting contributed to widespread support at all levels.

After almost a week of the strike by deminers of the company Mungos razminiranje d.o.o., Novi sindikat has organized a protest at St. Mark’s Square through which it demands the involvement of the Government of the Republic of Croatia in resolving the problems of the deminers of Mungos razminiranje d.o.o. The protest will last every day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Mark’s Square until the conclusion of the collective agreement. On the first day of the protest, representatives of Novi sindikat and members of the Strike Committee were received by Prime Minister Tihomir Orešković.

After the meeting held with Prime Minister Orešković, we can conclude that the Prime Minister supports our demand for the conclusion of a collective agreement, and it has been announced and promised for tomorrow, July 12, that the Minister of the Interior Vlaho Orepić will hold a conversation and meeting with the director of the Croatian Mine Action Center (HCR) where a final and long-awaited decision on the resolution of this situation could be made. After the first day of the protest and the meeting held, we can say that we have the support of the Government, but we will remain on strike and in protest with the deminers at St. Mark’s Square until the collective agreement is signed. For Novi sindikat, support is one thing, and the signing of the collective agreement is its concrete and final proof.

Nevertheless, we hope that this signature could occur on Tuesday or Wednesday, or it will be seen by then if there is someone who, despite the support of the Government, believes they can continue to prevent the signing of the collective agreement. Therefore, we remain at St. Mark’s Square in the coming days since verbal support is still not a signed collective agreement, and we remain on strike for the collective agreement and the fulfillment of strike demands and will not back down just for receiving verbal support or statements. We thank the Prime Minister for the support and believe that in a short time it can be translated into the signing of the collective agreement by those who need to provide that signature.

On July 7, 2016, a text titled “HCR Statement regarding the strike of a portion of Mungos razminiranje employees organized by Novi sindikat” was published on the official website of the Croatian Mine Action Center (HCR). The Strike Committee is reacting sharply to this because the text contains incomplete, inaccurate, and untruthful claims, as well as unfounded conclusions. It is our obligation to correctly inform the public and point out numerous inaccuracies in the statement, especially those related to the course of collective bargaining, the organization of the strike, and the strike demands. The text cites data on the total number of unionized workers at the company Mungos razminiranje. We consider it impermissible for the text to determine, dissect, and present to the public the total number of organized workers and the union membership of employees at the employer Mungos razminiranje.

We find the allegations regarding union affiliation disputed because they misuse and violate the privacy of Novi sindikat members, all with the obvious goal of denigrating the striking workers. Furthermore, although the text unjustifiably speculates about union organization at the employer Mungos razminiranje, it fails to provide full information that these are representative unions. Namely, on October 31, 2014, the Commission for Determining Representativeness issued a Decision according to which both unions are considered representative for collective bargaining, with Novi sindikat having a majority membership of 57.9% and the Croatian Union of Humanitarian Demining (HSHR) 42.1%. These specific figures are the only valid and authoritative data for the course of collective bargaining and are binding for the employer. The claims in the text that representatives of Mungos collectively bargained with representatives of the representative unions only regarding salary levels are incomplete. Specifically, it is true that negotiations were held to conclude a collective agreement. Collective bargaining was initiated at the end of 2014, continued through 2015, and the first half of 2016. Therefore, negotiations lasted over 18 months, while the fact is withheld that due to a stalemate in collective bargaining in March 2016, the Croatian Mine Action Center itself became involved in mediation and effectively participated actively in the process on the side of the employer, Mungos razminiranje. We assess as untruthful the claims in the text that the former director of Mungos razminiranje raised salaries during June 2016 as a sign of goodwill following failed negotiations. In fact, this was not an initiative or an act of goodwill by the director as untruthfully presented, but rather the consequence of the director’s rigid stance which led to the unsuccessfully concluded conciliation process. On June 15, 2016, the conciliation process initiated by Novi sindikat ended unsuccessfully.

The main demand is a “deminer salary in the amount of 15,000.00 HRK gross with a 0.5% seniority bonus,” which Director Amira Šafranić rejected in its entirety during conciliation. However, after the failed conciliation on June 21, 2016, in an obvious attempt to weaken the strike organization, she did raise salaries through amendments to the Labor Regulations, adding 0.5% for each completed year of service. Furthermore, the text states that the Croatian Union of Humanitarian Demining agreed to the amendments of the Labor Regulations until the conclusion of salary negotiations. When it is stated that the other union agreed to the amendments of the Labor Regulations, it fails to note that Novi sindikat had no knowledge that the employer was in the process of amending the regulations, but found out about the changes via email after they had already been adopted. It remains unclear why members of Novi sindikat were not given an equal opportunity during the salary consultations. The allegations in the text that the strike occurred due to the rigid stance of Novi sindikat are incomplete. It is unacceptable that the text conceals the fact that these were long-term collective negotiations. We repeat, collective bargaining lasted over 1.5 years, about which HCR had all the necessary knowledge. In this regard, the downplaying of the reasons for launching this strike and concluding a collective agreement is unclear to us. We find the claims in the text that HCR has always encouraged and advocated for collective bargaining disputed, while on the other hand, an indolent attitude is evident when it comes to the Mungos razminiranje deminers who demand that their labor rights, including salary, be regulated through a collective agreement. We note that during the largest strike in the demining sector to date (2013), organized by Novi sindikat along with two other unions operating in the sector, the Mungos management, with the support and encouragement of HCR, made it difficult for Mungos deminers to participate in that strike, and subsequently punished those who did participate by reducing their salaries through so-called “cooling.” Furthermore, the text considers the situation in Croatia—where 47 companies engage in demining—as evidence of the strike’s unjustifiability, expressing surprise that Novi sindikat organized a strike in a company where salaries are paid regularly and where “the best working conditions” allegedly exist.

This fact is inappropriate because it is not up to HCR to judge that “regular payment of salary” is sufficient for the best working conditions in a company. When it is stated that the mine action system “does not consist only of some 30 workers of the company Mungos razminiranje who are members of Novi sindikat,” it fails to mention that Novi sindikat is precisely the majority union in the mine action system. In this regard, any kind of resistance on the part of the owner of Mungos razminiranje to concluding a collective agreement and defining the labor price for deminers is unacceptable, especially since it is a state-owned company. The strike of Mungos razminiranje workers and the demand for a salary of 15,000.00 HRK gross and 0.5% for each completed year of service is not just a demand of some 30 workers of Mungos razminiranje, but a demand supported by all deminers in the mine action system. Therefore, all resistance to collective bargaining and the conclusion of a collective agreement in Mungos razminiranje strengthens the existing state—that is, a lower price of labor and less favorable working conditions for all other approximately 650 deminers and approximately 150 other workers in the system. Namely, if labor conditions and prices cannot be protected through a collective agreement for deminers working in a state-owned company such as Mungos razminiranje, it is not to be expected that there will be a will to do the same for workers in private companies.

Also, it is our duty to again warn the public about the chronic lack of will at all levels which “cannot” or “will not” protect the rights and working conditions of deminers in the mine action system through a branch collective agreement. We invite interested parties to contact us to verify information related to the strike of Mungos razminiranje workers.

According to available information, the Management is offering new part-time employment contracts to workers for signature. Workers must know that the new contract is harmful, that they are by no means obliged to sign it, and that they must not suffer any threats or sanctions because of it.

We instruct all workers who are offered a new employment contract to refuse to sign it, despite potential intimidation, and to contact the legal service of their union as soon as possible at the telephone number 01 3024 244 or mobile 091 3566 100.

This strike is a consequence of the fact that demining is on the market. This is a strike in the only state-owned demining company, but it is a strike in which we seek a unified status and salary for all deminers in the Republic of Croatia. It is not directed against anyone but is aimed exclusively at achieving the dignified deminer salary from our demand. Furthermore, Novi sindikat is aware that the price of demining currently existing on that market cannot provide this price of labor; however, we consider it an extremely poor approach for economic feasibility or infeasibility to be the measure for a deminer’s salary. Therefore, with this strike, we appeal for the deminer status to be regulated first, for them to be guaranteed a salary in the amount of 15,000 HRK gross with a seniority bonus of 0.5% per year of service, followed by the regulation of prices in this sector and, finally, the withdrawal of the entire industry from the market competition. On the other hand, looking very objectively at the financial situation and the amount of money allocated for demining, we believe the salary could be even higher than what we are demanding through this strike; however, the fulfillment of this demand of ours would satisfy us completely.

The strike in the only state-owned demining company, Mungos razminiranje d.o.o., began on Tuesday at 8 a.m., following the interruption of the collective bargaining process, the unsuccessful conclusion of the conciliation procedure, and the rejection of union demands for a salary increase to 15 thousand HRK gross. The strike is being carried out exclusively because of the price of labor and the fact that the management of the company Mungos did not agree to the salary increase—specifically, for the salary to be 15 thousand HRK gross—as Novi sindikat considers such a salary more appropriate for their daily stress and the risk involved in the work they do. The fundamental demand of Novi sindikat is that demining cannot and must not be a subject of market competition. Demining is funded from the budget and European Union funds, also through the budget, and we believe that the Republic of Croatia has the right to determine the price of labor. Employers are driving down the price of demining and claiming there is no money for salaries, while Novi sindikat asks if anyone thinks 15 thousand HRK gross is too much for this job and the people who enter minefields daily, risking their lives. In recent years, casualties among deminers have increased because they are entering increasingly dangerous areas, not because they are being less careful. Therefore, we believe the argument that there is no money for salary increases simply does not hold, as sufficient funds have been secured according to the adopted national demining plan. The company Mungos is exempt from public procurement procedures, and the Republic of Croatia, through the Ministry of the Interior and the HCR, determines the price of projects and demining; however, under these circumstances, we cannot wait for elections and the formation of a new government, so we have decided to move toward contracting the price of labor right now.

“Last week, we informed everyone in writing about the start of the strike, but no one responded to the call for negotiations. When they failed to prevent the strike through various means, they apparently decided earlier not to meet our demands. We are convinced that a salary correction could not destroy Mungos’ business. Unfortunately, for 15 years, we have not had a Government that would solve the demining problem. Worst of all, 500 million HRK was secured for demining this year, the most so far, so there would be money for even higher salaries; they are behaving so irresponsibly,” said the president of Novi sindikat, Mario Iveković.

During the strike, the deminers and Novi sindikat receive daily support from other unions and organizations, for which we are grateful!!!

A collective agreement has been signed at the company Jadranska vrata d.d. By concluding the new collective agreement, the old agreement expiring at the end of the year is extended, while the new one with the same level of rights has been signed until December 31, 2019. The agreement was reached during a conciliation process prompted by the employer’s refusal to increase wages in 2016. Ultimately, the salary was increased by 1%, starting from July 1, 2016, with the 1% increase for the period from January 1 to June 30, 2016, being paid as a lump sum. Criteria have also been established for the automatic adjustment of wages depending on the increase in traffic as of January 1, 2017. Furthermore, negotiations regarding the criteria for wage increases in 2018 and 2019 have been agreed upon. We note that regarding salary supplements, this collective agreement is certainly one of the best signed in the Republic of Croatia—night work, Saturday work, and overtime at 50%, Sunday work at 100%, 6 weeks of annual leave for all workers, and more. The collective agreement was signed on behalf of the employer by Board members Wojciech Szymulewicz and Goran Manfreda, and on behalf of the workers by the president of the Independent Union of Employees in the Port of Rijeka, Rusmir Cimirotić, whose members are also considered members of Novi sindikat in accordance with a special agreement. The signing was attended by members of the union’s negotiating committee Veljko Ljubojević and the president of Novi sindikat Mario Iveković, as well as members of the employer’s negotiating committee.

Due to numerous inquiries regarding the abolition of the transport allowance and meal allowance, we inform you that these items will certainly be one of the topics of the recently started collective bargaining negotiations. On this matter, as well as all other issues, the union will strictly follow the instructions of its members.

In the meantime, we wish to remind and warn you that under no circumstances should you sign any document that may be offered to you by the Management, but instead:

1. receive the offered document by writing the date of receipt and your signature on the margin of the document,

2.immediately contact your union representative Domagoj Jug at 091 4777 147.

LIVING WAGE AS A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT—A LIVING WAGE FOR GARMENT WORKERS IN EUROPE

We invite you to attend the program “Living wage as a fundamental human right—a living wage for garment workers in Europe,” which will be held on June 14 and 15 in Zagreb.

On the first day, June 14, we will organize a screening of the film “The True Cost” at Cvjetni trg at 8:10 p.m. The film speaks about the problems of textile workers caused by today’s fashion industry (brands like H&M, ZARA…) as well as examples of how production can be organized in a healthy and worker-acceptable way even under the conditions of globalization (fair trade). On the second day, June 15, the same film will be screened at the European House, Jurišićeva 1/1 (Brussels hall), followed by a panel discussion with extremely interesting guests.

We particularly want to highlight the arrival for the discussion of Mr. Ashim Roy, the General Secretary of a trade union federation from India (Novi sindikat Initiative), which has about a million members, and who is also a member of the central committee of the Asian Floor Wage initiative. On Tuesday, June 14, there will be an opportunity for an informal meeting and conversation with him at Cvjetni trg, in one of the cafes during the screening of the film.

We hope you will respond to our invitation to this interesting two-day event. See you there!

DEMINER PROTEST IN ZAGREB ORGANIZED BY NOVI SINDIKAT

12 MAY 2016

Novi sindikat organized a deminer protest that took place yesterday, May 11, 2016, in Zagreb. More than 300 deminers from across the country responded to the call to protest.

The protest began at 10 a.m. with a gathering at Ban Jelačić Square in Zagreb around the monument of Ban Jelačić, after which a protest column was formed and headed toward St. Mark’s Square. “Restore dignity to deminers,” “Become a deminer – the greatest risk for the lowest wage,” “Collective agreement is the salvation for deminers,” “How much is a deminer’s life worth?”, “We want to work and live from the war!”, “While we die, you count the profit,” “Mowing grass 10 kuna per square meter, demining thickets 2.68 kuna per square meter” were some of the messages used by deminers to warn about the problems they face.

Following the press conference at St. Mark’s Square, representatives of Novi sindikat, despite requesting it, did not manage to get an appointment for a meeting with Prime Minister Tihomir Orešković. however, they were received by the Parliamentary Club of the Bridge of Independent Lists (Most), whom they informed about the issues in the demining sector. A meeting was scheduled for next week, by which time concrete proposals regarding the direction in which Most will support the deminers’ demands should be known. Support for the protesters was also given by some of the parties of the Patriotic Coalition (Domoljubna koalicija), but we express regret that no representatives from the SDP or their former Government appeared, as they clearly feel responsible for the current situation. Deminers also spoke with representatives of the Croatian Labourists, who also came to provide support and expressed interest in resolving the deminers’ problems.

During the protest, we pointed out the need for a quick solution to the deminers’ situation in order to employ those facing job losses and to resolve the issue of demining safety and system sustainability, as well as the question of what will happen to deminers once the demining work is completed. The protest was not directed against anyone but was an expression of the desire for those who should solve the problems to actually do so, as human lives are at stake.

At the meeting with the Parliamentary Club of the Bridge of Independent Lists, maximum engagement on their part was promised. The representatives did not provide any concrete solutions immediately, but they will help ensure that our demands are realized through legislative means as soon as possible.

After leaving the Government building and the unsuccessful attempt to gain the necessary attention from the Prime Minister, the General Secretary of Novi sindikat, Tomislav Kiš, informed the public that we were directed to the Prime Minister’s Office to request a meeting, even though we had already failed twice. “The next time we come, it might happen that we come in much larger numbers and stay a bit longer, until attention is paid to us,” said Kiš, General Secretary of Novi sindikat.

Today’s protest gathering was intended to warn that in Croatia, the Government must govern and the Parliament must pass laws that would remove the demining sector from the market, as market competition has led to dumping prices, which in turn lead to profit being prioritized over the worker and their safety. 509 million kuna has been secured for demining, projects and deminers exist, but they are threatened with losing their jobs and ending up at the employment office; the responsibility for such a dysfunctional system lies with an inadequate legislative framework, and the demining system is threatened with collapse and breakdown.

REASONS FOR THE DEMINER PROTEST

We believe that the purpose of demining is to clear Croatia of mines in a way that ensures working conditions for demining workers that fully protect everyone entering minefields, and we believe that their work benefits all citizens.

Croatia belongs to the group of 24 countries in the world with the highest number of victims; from 1991 to the present, 1,979 people have suffered in mine-suspected areas, of whom 511 died.

• 77% of individuals were harmed by mine-explosive devices (MES)

• 22% by unexploded ordnance (UXO)

• 1% by unknown ordnance.

The market model of public bidding, specifically public procurement, is most often responsible for the casualties in minefields, as it does not benefit demining workers nor does it make the demining work safe. This involves work that, as such, cannot be subject to market shocks, speculative behavior, dumping, or crude profit interests, which, by crushing competition, also crush the price and quality of deminer work and represent a direct blow to the safety of all employees in the demining system, as well as to the citizenry as a whole.

Demining work, therefore, depends exclusively on public procurement rules characterized by dumping—negative behavior models in bidding—which has led to uncontrolled prices in the last few months (below 3.00 HRK). These prices cannot fulfill their purpose of being economically acceptable, meaning the work cannot be performed with high quality, and deminer salaries cannot be secured from projects at that price.

It is unclear how, in a market primarily funded by the state budget, it is possible for mine action companies to pass through pre-bankruptcy settlement processes in an uncontrolled manner, or that there is a common market trend where companies cease operations while owners, leaving debts behind, establish new demining companies. From this market behavior—ceasing operations and resuming work in a newly founded company—deminers suffer by working in unsafe conditions (fearing for their salary and existence, all while working in high-risk jobs), and these negative consequences are also borne by the state as a whole, as it usually involves evading tax obligations, which cannot be acceptable.

It is indisputable that mine action activity cannot function under the market conditions of entrepreneurial freedoms, especially not in the manner currently occurring, because this situation endangers all workers authorized to work in minefields. In the “race for square meters,” they cannot perform their work with quality, endangering both deminers and citizens.

It is high time that this activity is removed from the market, which, through the legal framework of public procurement, contracts jobs in this sector based on the criterion of the lowest price. Thus, we have the bizarre situation today where the lowest price bids in public bidding for demining work are often lower than prices in public procurement for lawn mowing or cleaning services.

Such ruthless rules of the market competition are broken precisely across the backs of deminers who, in the race for square meters caused by the state-imposed business model, unfortunately, lose their lives.

For this situation, we blame the legal framework that is not adapted to the basic goal—ensuring the working conditions of deminers, protecting citizens, and enabling safety, i.e., life without the danger of mines.

We primarily blame state legislation, namely the Public Procurement Act, for the resulting situation.

We see the solutions to these burning problems in the following points, which are also our demands:

1. We demand that the Government remove demining work from the market competition—therefore, an unconditional removal of demining from the market—and we want the Government to draft and send into legal procedure a bill that would enable this via an emergency procedure.

2. We demand that companies without contracted jobs be allowed to contract work via an EMERGENCY procedure.

3. We demand that our proposal be accepted for the Government to agree with the unions on the extended application of the collective agreement for the humanitarian demining branch.

4. Enabling and ensuring the highest possible safety for deminer work.

FIRST MEETING BETWEEN THE UNION AND MANAGEMENT AT CHROMOS BOJE I LAKOVI d. d.

Today, at the premises of the company Chromos boje i lakovi d. d. in Zagreb, the first meeting between representatives of Novi sindikat and the management was held. Both sides presented their work to date and the structure of their organizations, discussed the potential start of collective bargaining within the company, and expressed their readiness for cooperation.

The Union School is financially supported by the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung foundation.

OPEN LETTER – REQUEST FOR INTERVENTION BY THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT TO SAVE BADEL

Dear Madam President Grabar-Kitarović,

Given the alarming situation at Badel 1862 d.d., which threatens the destruction and shutdown of this renowned Zagreb-based, Croatian, and world-famous company, we are compelled to address you on behalf of the employees of Badel 1862, members of the union represented by our Novi sindikat.

Recently, the employees of Badel 1862 warned us of the latest attempts by the company’s Management, just before the parliamentary elections, to seize a final opportunity to destroy the company by selling it to a strategic partner in a hostile takeover. In doing so, while selling and devastating Badel 1862, the company’s Management—in collusion with political protectors from the current Government and relevant ministries—seeks to exploit this last chance to profit from commissions during the sale, regardless of the fact that over 500 workers will permanently lose their jobs.

We conclude this based on two of the latest business decisions made by the current Management of Badel 1862:

First: The Management of Badel 1862 has begun issuing terminations to employees in the sales department, citing business rationalization and restructuring. However, the background is actually the intent to sell and cede the most liquid and fundamental segment of the company (financial operations and collection) to another company outside of Badel so that commissions can be distributed and the final shutdown of the company can be facilitated. With great effort, Novi sindikat is pointing out these illegal actions and opposes the unjustified termination of long-term employees in the domestic sales sector (who have worked in the sales of spirits, wine, non-alcoholic carbonated drinks, and commercial goods continuously for 7 to 35 years), especially since the employer has simultaneously hired about thirty new people (mostly from Centar banka) in all sectors except production over the past few years, all without public tenders and without consulting the works council.

Second: The Management of Badel 1862, led by the controversial manager Ivo Markotić (who has “buried” several companies to date), decided a few days ago to indebt Badel 1862 and burden it with credit. The money from the mortgage loan (about 10 million euros) would be forwarded to a third company that would “buy” Badel 1862. The Management of Badel 1862 is set to make a decision on this at a session on Tuesday, September 15, 2015. This would complicate operations for any future Management, and the new financial burden would further strain Badel’s market position.

Numerous illegalities and irregularities

Under the vague explanation of a “procedure for determining abuse of rights,” the pre-bankruptcy settlement procedure was terminated on July 29, 2013, at the request of the Ministry of Finance – Tax Administration (Decision of FINA, Regional Center Zagreb, Settlement Council HR03, Class: UP-I/110/07/13-01/3325, Reg. No: 04-06-13-3325-320).

The termination of workers and the restructuring plan are also illegal because this program was not approved at Badel’s assemblies; rather, it is a collective redundancy plan based precisely on the Financial and Operational Restructuring Plan from the terminated pre-bankruptcy settlement procedure (FINA pre-bankruptcy settlement website, RC Zagreb, March 17, 2015).

Likewise, it is a concerning fact that at Badel’s regular assemblies over the past few years, neither the Management nor the Supervisory Board received discharges (resolutions of approval), yet no proceedings against them have been initiated by the owner – the State – nor by the State Attorney’s Office. We emphasize that all these illegal and irregular actions are taking place with the tacit approval of Zoran Milanović’s Government, considering that Badel 1862 is nominally in majority state ownership.

Finally, we mention that the implementation of court rulings is currently expected to resolve the status of property seized from shareholders and small shareholders, after which making such harmful decisions will no longer be possible. Unfortunately, while waiting for parliamentary elections and the execution of final court verdicts, the current Management has decided to inflict maximum damage on the company Badel 1862.

On April 10, 2013, the High Commercial Court ruled in a final verdict that the decisions on restructuring the company, and the dismissal and election of the Supervisory Board made at the general assembly of Badel 1862 d.d. on October 25, 2010, are null and void! Based on this final verdict, small shareholders are expecting a ruling stating that the Government of the Republic of Croatia entered the ownership structure of Badel 1862 d.d. illegally.

In the meantime, the Constitutional Court has also issued two decisions initiating proceedings to assess the constitutionality of HANFA’s (Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency) decisions regarding Badel 1862 based on the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia and the Act on the Takeover of Joint Stock Companies.

Save Badel 1862 from destruction!

Respected Madam President, we expect you and your Office to thoroughly investigate the case of Badel 1862 d.d. and that all those who participated in the destruction of a company with a 150-year tradition be appropriately punished and held accountable for their dishonorable acts. Badel 1862 d.d. has a production line and a market; it is a leader in its industry, so it is high time that all necessary steps are taken for the company to once again become an important economic entity in the city of Zagreb and the Republic of Croatia.

Likewise, we ask that you use your powers, authority, and status to the maximum extent to save the company Badel 1862 from destruction, and thereby prevent the loss of over 500 jobs!

We thank you in advance for your help and understanding.

Respectfully,

for Novi sindikat Mario Iveković, President

Today, at the premises of Cemetery Jastrebarsko d.o.o., a new collective agreement was signed. This agreement is significant because it demonstrates that even employees of smaller businesses, if unionized, can successfully negotiate regulations for their rights and obligations through a collective agreement.

The agreement was signed on behalf of management by Director Aleksandar Stanić, and on behalf of Novi sindikat by General Secretary Tomislav Kiš. The full text of the collective agreement is available in the “Documents” section.

ATTACK ON TRADE UNION RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS THE SITUATION IN CROATIA

9 March 2015

We received a request from the Regional Office for Europe of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) to briefly summarize the situation in Croatia regarding respect for trade union rights and freedoms, with particular emphasis on the right to strike.

Honorable Colleagues,

In response to your inquiry regarding the legal framework and practice related to trade union rights and freedoms in Croatia, especially concerning the right to strike, it should be emphasized that the right to strike is recognized as a fundamental right protected by the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia. However, certain laws governing labor relations and trade union organization undermine this principle.

Specifically, while the Constitution guarantees the universal right to strike, labor law and the Law on Representativeness restrict this right to certain trade unions. In many cases, only representative unions can exercise it, leaving a significant number of workers unable to exercise their constitutional right—even in situations involving serious violations of their labor rights.

The law permits strikes in practically only two circumstances: during collective bargaining and in cases of non-payment of wages. To engage in collective bargaining, a union must either be the only union at the level of negotiation (e.g., at a company or branch) or have at least 20% of all unionized workers at that level. This provision, introduced in 2012 under the Law on Representativeness, adds additional barriers for smaller unions, making membership size the primary criterion for participation in collective bargaining and strike organization. This replaced a previous provision more aligned with ILO Conventions 87 and 98, which allowed any union capable of defending its members’ rights to negotiate and strike. Moreover, the new Labor Law, adopted in 2014, prevents unions from appointing a protected union commissioner unless the union has at least five members in the company. This discriminates against employees in small businesses and further undermines the right to unionization overall.

This brief overview highlights the aspects of the right to strike that we currently consider most problematic. We are happy to respond to any further questions or provide additional clarification.

Respectfully,
Mario Iveković, President of Novi sindikat