ZAGREB, April 30, 2018 - Minister of Labour and Pension System Marko Pavić on Monday issued a message on the occasion of International Workers' Day, marked May 1, saying that the ministry advocates open and substantial dialogue with social partners, unions and employers, and a society in which Croatian citizens will have a dignified life from their work and their pensions.
"International Workers' Day is the day when we recall those brave workers who in 1886 set the path for more just and humane working conditions. The Ministry of Labour and Pension System, through open and substantial dialogue with social partners, unions and employers, firmly advocates a society in which Croatian citizens will be able to live a dignified life from their work and their pensions. We are pleased with the good results we have achieved. We have one of the highest growth rates of employment in the European Union. At the end of 2017, Croatia had 60,000 more people employed than in 2016. The unemployment rate is constantly falling and we have a record low of 160,000 unemployed people and have come close to the EU average," Minister Pavić recalled.
He underscored that the government is deeply aware of the challenges facing Croatian society, like emigration, and that together with his colleagues in the government, led by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, they will work on creating the prerequisites for the demographic revival of the country.
"In cooperation with the Croatian Employment Service, we are rapidly implementing active employment policy measures, keeping in mind our young people and the long-term unemployed so that we can stimulate their employment, contribute to them remaining in Croatia, and activate the labour market. We have secured more than 2.5 billion kuna this year for employment programmes," Pavić said.
"We are also taking into account our workers who are about to retire and our pensioners, to whom I wish to say that our pension system is sustainable and that pension allowances are secure," he added in his message.
