ZAGREB, 5 July 2022 - The Solidarna Foundation, the Parents in Action (RODA) association, and the Centre for Education, Counselling and Research (CESI) organized a protest rally in Zagreb on Monday evening to demonstrate their opposition to attempts to deny women their rights.

The protest was held out of solidarity with women in the United States, where the Supreme Court has abolished the constitutional protection of the right to pregnancy termination, devolving the issue to federal states, the organizers said.

"This is our common struggle. Whenever there is a regression of women's rights in one country, it spills over to other countries. It is our duty to stand in solidarity and resist the forces seeking to deny women their rights," said Sanja Cesar of the CESI.

 Although constitutional experts say that there cannot be a total ban on abortion in Croatia, Cesar noted that Croatian women still cannot rest easy on this issue, despite the law which she described as liberal.

"For thirty years we have witnessed information being withheld, manipulation, a large number of gynecologists invoking conscientious objection, the cost of an abortion reaching a monthly salary. We can see the highest authorities and the Catholic Church colluding in exerting pressure on women," Cesar said.

The protest rally was held on US Independence Day and was called Women's Independence Day.

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ZAGREB, 23 May 2022 - Over 500 disgruntled workers of the Pružne građevine Ltd., which specializes in the construction and maintenance of railway and electrical infrastructure along railway routes in Croatia, protested outside Government House on Monday to warn about the serious situation in this company with 1,400 employees.

This is the only Croatian company specializing in the construction and maintenance of railways.

The protesting workers warned that the absence of large-scale investments in rail maintenance has plunged this company into trouble and it is faced with prospective official receivership and a loss of jobs.

According to an estimate provided by the World Bank, it is necessary to invest a billion kuna annually in the maintenance of Croatia's railway network while currently, the annual allocation for this purpose is HRK 200 million, the protesters said.

They voiced their disagreement with the transfer of Pružne građevine Ltd from HŽ Infrastruktura (Croatian Railways Infrastructure) ownership to the Centre for Restructuring and Sales (CERP).

After the protest rally, Transport Ministry State Secretary Alen Gospočić explained that the decision on the transfer is aimed at making it possible for the Pružne građevine to apply for EU-funded tenders.

Gospočić said that the investment cycle in the next 10 years was put at €3.5 billion.

He recalled the deals on projects worth HRK 600 million in the next three years that involve the company.

(€1 = HRK 7.5)

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