Dear Student Center Workers,
The Workers’ Rights Portal and the Organization for Workers’ Initiative and Democratization (BRID) express full support for your struggle for the right to negotiate your own wages, ensuring that no one else decides the price of your labor without your involvement. The right to ensure that wages are not determined by an employer’s unilateral act was won in the 19th century, yet it is now under attack.
We are acutely aware of how crucial a signed Collective Agreement is—especially today, when labor rights are constantly being undermined. Under the pretext of crisis, there are ongoing attempts to repeal certain provisions of the Labor Act, seeking to maximize flexibility in favor of the employer. Such moves only increase uncertainty in labor relations, making it easier to reduce rights and fast-track dismissals.
Regulating wages through a collective agreement is the best protection against such exploitation, yet your employer, the Agency for Student Standards, opposes this request and violates basic labor law. Furthermore, the Agency is publishing false information and letters about strikebreakers in the media, attempting to pressure you and block the strike through various means. The director is working as a cashier, the commercial director is serving food, external catering is being paid for students, and those supporting the strike are being called into private meetings for intimidation. The University of Zadar has taken their side, likely refusing to sign a collective agreement so they can continue to manipulate your wages. We support your efforts to prevent this!
Your fight—to protect the right to negotiate your salary—concerns all workers. Those who do not support this demand are working against their own interests and allowing the employer to trample on everyone’s rights. Students who do not support you are only weakening their own future positions as workers.
With this letter, we want to tell you that we stand behind you and support your struggle. We also call upon all others—workers, students, and trade unionists—to show their solidarity. Support the struggle of the Zadar canteen workers: send them a message or a letter of support, visit them if you are in Zadar, create a banner, boycott the canteen, or contribute to the strike fund.
Together we are stronger! Solidarity!
Support has been published On the Workers’ Rights portal 10.11.
