Current GSV has ceased operations, awaiting new composition

The Economic and Social Council (GSV) has concluded its work in the current composition with today’s session, as the new Law on Representativeness requires the determination of the representativeness of trade union centers and employer associations to be completed within the next two months, after which a new GSV will be formed.

Trade union representative and GSV president Krešimir Sever expressed hope after the session that the new composition of the GSV would lead social dialogue more effectively than it has in the past year, during which many laws were passed without the involvement of social partners.

“Social dialogue is conducted through direct communication, not through Facebook and the websites of the Ministry of Labor and Pension System and the Government,” Sever criticized the Government’s and Minister Miranda Mrsić’s approach to social partnership, a sentiment echoed by Damir Kuštrak, representative of the Croatian Employers’ Association (HUP).

Mrsić stated that due to the poor state of the country, some laws had to be adopted through urgent procedures, which bypassed social partners, but this is no longer necessary.

To prevent a vacuum in social dialogue in the next 60 days until the new GSV is formed, we will propose a cooperation agreement with trade unions and employers, announced Mrsić.

The determination of the representativeness of trade union centers has not yet been completed, and unofficially it is expected that in the new GSV there will be three centers instead of five – Independent Croatian Trade Unions, the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Croatia, and the Croatian Trade Union Confederation.

Government and trade union representatives also discussed amendments to the Labor Law (ZOR), which will take place in two phases.

In the first phase, which should be completed by the end of February, the ZOR will be aligned with EU guidelines and amendments that can achieve agreement among social partners will be determined.

In the second phase, all issues on which agreement cannot be reached will be discussed, including the problem of fixed-term employment, which has been speculated about recently.

For trade unions, a solution that would allow employers to enter into fixed-term employment contracts with workers for periods ranging from several months to several years is unacceptable.

The session also discussed the proposed mining law, and it was deemed positive that this law will not go through urgent procedures but will be considered in two readings in the Parliament.