Kutlača: In Istria, production is destroyed, trade and tourism are developing – a synonym for labor slavery

The head of the Pula office of the Trade Union of Istria, Kvarner and Dalmatia, Rajko Kutlača, said at the central celebration of May 1 in Pula that “unfortunately, production has been destroyed in Istria as well, and trade and tourism are developing,” which he assessed as “a synonym for labor slavery.”

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The central celebration on the occasion of International Workers’ Day was held on Tuesday at Pula’s Portarata Square, featuring performances by the cultural-artistic society “Lino Mariani” and the Pula City Wind Orchestra, as well as speeches from representatives of the City, Istria County, and the unions.

Highlighting that Istria is the only county in Croatia where more people are moving in than moving out, Deputy County Prefect Fabrizio Radin stated that today everyone is reminded of the historical struggle of the working class for its fundamental labor rights. “This is a struggle that had a strong echo right here in Pula, in Istria, where its innocent citizens paid the highest price,” Radin emphasized.

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Pula’s Deputy Mayor Robert Cvek emphasized that the workers’ struggle continues today, regardless of the changing times. “It is up to us to continue building a society and an orderly state that rests on respecting workers’ rights, social protection, and equality among people,” Cvek stated, adding that preserving jobs is a primary goal, especially in manufacturing activities that drive the entire economy.

Uljanik in liquidation

Reflecting on the situation at the Pula Uljanik, the head of the Pula office of the Trade Union of Istria, Kvarner and Dalmatia, Rajko Kutlača, said that the Pula shipyard has been “handed over for liquidation, and space has been given where anyone can work as they wish.”

“We hear local politicians saying that Istria is better than others in all fields. That is true, but it is not because Istria is so successful, but because other counties are very poor. Unfortunately, production has been destroyed in Istria as well, and trade and tourism are developing, which are a synonym for labor slavery, as workers are not paid for overtime hours,” Kutlača assessed.

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He stated that Croatia is not a land of perspective, nor El Dorado, as some claim, and it is not a land of the future for the working class and ordinary people.

A delegation from the City, County, and Unions then laid wreaths at the memorial plaque for the workers who died in 1920 during demonstrations in the fight for their labor rights. The celebration of International Workers’ Day continued traditionally in the Šijana Forest with a music and entertainment program where the mayor of Pula distributed free portions of beans.