ZAGREB, October 16, 2019 - Labour Ministry state secretary Majda Burić informed the parliamentary Labour, Pension System and Social Partnership Committee on Wednesday that the government was withdrawing from procedure amendments to the Labour Act the committee was to have discussed today.
She did not say why the government was doing so.
Committee chair Gordan Maras of the opposition Social Democratic Party said "it's unusual" to do so just before the start of the committee meeting, while Ante Babić of the ruling HDZ said "the circumstances are such, the government is talking with the social partners."
An external committee member noted that this was done without the social partners' knowledge, to which Burić replied that the government acknowledged the social partners, cooperating both with the unions and the Croatian Employers Association (HUP).
Earlier this morning HUP cancelled a scheduled press conference with the explanation that it had been notified by the government that it would withdraw from further procedure a bill of amendments to the Labour Act which regulated the possibility of working for another three years after qualifying for age pension eligibility at 65.
Said bill was part of a pension reform package and we have also been notified that the necessary labour legislation improvements will be discussed through the social dialogue, HUP said.
The government says on its website that it held a conference call on Tuesday at which it decided to withdraw six bills from parliamentary procedure, and that it will discuss the bills with the social partners and then send them into regular procedure.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Wednesday the government had not capitulated before employers but only wanted additional consultations, adding that it was drawing up laws in citizens' interest.
He was asked by the press why the government had withdrawn six bills from procedure. "We believe we still have time to adopt them in regular procedure."
The government says on its website that it held a conference call on Tuesday at which it decided to withdraw six bills from parliamentary procedure, and that it will discuss them with the social partners and then send them into regular procedure.
The bills envisage amendments to the Labour Act, two laws on civil servants, the Healthcare Act, the law on elementary and high school education, and the law on science and higher education.
Asked if that was done in the interest of unions, employers or someone else, Plenković said it was "in the interest of Croatian citizens."
A member of the press remarked that if he was yielding to employers, he could also raise teachers' salaries, to which he said: "You'll hear everything today and everything will be clear."
Asked if he would receive the striking teachers or if the government's offer of a pay rise which they turned down was still on the table, Plenković said he was always for dialogue.
The Alliance of Autonomous Trade Unions of Croatia (SSSH) on Wednesday welcomed the government decision to withdraw six pension and labour bills from the fast-track procedure and the announcement by the government that it would further consider the bills with social partners and then send them to Parliament for adoption under regular procedure.
SSSH recalled in a statement its open letter to Prime Minister Andrej Plenković in which it said that it would be reasonable and responsible not to pass these bills under fast-track procedure but first to evaluate their effects and envisage a transition period for all or individual activities.
More pension news can be found in the Business section.
