Due to the systematic obstruction of trade union activity in companies owned by the City of Zagreb, a press conference was held where Tomislav Kiš and Mario Iveković addressed the public on behalf of Novi sindikat. The pressure exerted on the union commissioners of Novi sindikat culminated in two of them having their employment contracts terminated. After a dismissal was handed to the Union Commissioner at ZET (Zagreb Electric Tram), the same fate befell the commissioner at Zagreb Holding, while another received a formal warning before dismissal. What these cases have in common is that the managements of both ZET and Zagreb Holding ignored legal procedures—specifically, the fact that commissioners were fired without the consent of the Union, which is a direct violation of the Labor Act.

The “fault” of our commissioners was that they systematically pointed out failures in the administration’s work. In several instances, the management of Zagreb Holding failed to act despite warnings from Union Commissioners, whether regarding cases of sexual harassment or direct physical threats against the commissioners. Based on the above, we can conclude that these layoffs represent an act of retaliation and are a drastic example of the obstruction of trade union activity within city-owned companies.

In addition, the public is also familiar with worrying news reaching Novi sindikat regarding Zagreb Digitalni Grad (Zagreb Digital City). According to the information available to us, there is a plan to separate Zagreb Digitalni Grad from Zagreb Holding, which could be the first step toward the privatization of the company. As this is an extremely valuable public resource, such a development would undoubtedly be detrimental to the public interest. Therefore, we call on the councilors of the Zagreb City Assembly to inform themselves about this critical issue and take the necessary steps in time to keep this company in public ownership, thereby protecting the interests of the citizens of Zagreb.