Mario Iveković, President of Novi sindikat, appeared on HRT’s show Studio 4 to comment on the decision to introduce state aid for shortened working hours and its potential application in the textile industry. He also discussed working conditions and the challenges of working for the minimum wage.
-“The textile industry has been suffering since Croatia’s independence. To date, over 100,000 garment jobs have been lost. Our research this year shows that an additional 11,000 jobs vanished. Furthermore, the problem is that these are 100% minimum-wage positions. It is the lowest-paid industry in the world. If the textile industry is supported, then all workplaces will benefit. Research conducted before the pandemic showed catastrophically poor results; workers earn only the minimum wage, which constitutes just 34% of the living wage that should be guaranteed under the Constitution. The poverty threshold in this sector stands at 63%,” said Mario Iveković.
Iveković pointed out that previous government measures were effective for labor-intensive industries.
-“Everything earned contributed to recovery. However, we are now expecting a blow, as orders from abroad have plummeted. We have cases of an 80% decline in that industry. In such scenarios, measures to shorten the working week can be effective.”
“Laws do not cover human rights”
Iveković emphasized that current legislation fails to protect fundamental human rights.
-“We need to redefine the minimum wage. Global chaos was introduced by multinational companies that were the first to abuse production in the textile industry. Some have made enormous profits from this sector at the expense of others,” he stated.
“How can you shorten the hours of a minimum-wage worker?”
The President of Novi sindikat noted that when looking at minimum or average wages in Western European countries, they cover a far higher percentage of living costs.
-“They began introducing shorter working weeks to create new jobs. However, shortening the working hours of a minimum-wage worker is not just a matter of ‘dosage.’ We need to create conditions for co-financing. Such actions are possible. Companies that can afford to have employees work from home maintain a better standard; they do not need to reduce working hours and wages,” Iveković explained.
He also pointed out a long-standing problem in Croatia: the state educates people only for them to leave the country because they are underpaid here, while the costs of their education are borne by the citizens.
-“A person refuses a job only if they have an alternative,” Iveković concluded.
For more, visit the HRT website under the title: “We are expecting a blow; orders from abroad have fallen.” (Očekujemo udarce, pale su narudžbe iz stranih zemalja)
