ORCA Union Begins Strike on Wednesday, Croatia Airlines Cancels Flights

The management of Croatia Airlines and the ORCA union did not reach an agreement during their meeting on Monday, so the union remains firm on its announcement to begin the strike on Wednesday, August 8 at 6 AM, while the management continues to express its willingness for dialogue and emphasizes that it will continue to “take all necessary actions to minimize the harmful consequences of the announced strike.”

>>>Croatia Airlines: We will lose 800 thousand euros daily due to the strike

“The management has not deviated from its positions. This means that the strike will begin on Wednesday at 6 AM,” said Marko Božičević from the Croatian Pilots’ Union in a statement to the media after negotiations with the management of Croatia Airlines.

Given that there will be problems as a certain number of flights will be canceled, he apologized to all passengers and asked for understanding.

Management: We continue to take all necessary actions to minimize the harmful consequences of the strike

The management of Croatia Airlines also confirmed that no agreement was reached regarding the cancellation of the strike at today’s meeting, reiterating that the ORCA union (Organization of Workers of Croatia Airlines) insists on its demands from April 2017, which represent an additional cost to the company of about 53 million kuna, which is “unacceptable for the company at this moment.”

“The company management invited the ORCA union for talks aimed at avoiding the announced strike and finding a mutually acceptable platform for continuing collective bargaining. Despite this, ORCA insisted on all of its 150 demands set at the very beginning of negotiations in April 2017, which would cost the company an additional 53 million kuna annually, which is impossible to fulfill. Accordingly, no agreement was reached regarding the cancellation of the strike, but the company management continues to express its willingness for dialogue and calls on the ORCA union to limit its demands to what the company can sustainably bear in the long term,” states the management’s announcement after today’s meeting between the company’s leadership and the ORCA union.

>>>SHSZUZ: The strike could mean the end of Croatia Airlines

The national airline emphasizes that the management, given the outcome of today’s meeting, “continues to take all necessary actions to minimize the harmful consequences of the announced strike.”

“A strike during the time of year when the company generates the highest revenues and creates conditions for improving the working conditions of all employees in the future will undoubtedly have a very negative impact on passengers, the achievement of tourism results, and the overall Croatian economy, as well as the company’s position,” states the announcement.

The company reminds that the old collective agreement has been in extended application for 20 months, preserving all social and material rights of Croatia Airlines employees and that the Memorandum of the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure from August 3, 2017, has been respected.

“During this period, the employees of Croatia Airlines have not been deprived of any rights agreed upon in that collective agreement. During the same period, the unions, including ORCA, tacitly accepted the situation in which all provisions of the expired collective agreement were applied, while salaries increased due to certain provisions of the agreement that multiply value work experience, and all other provisions of the same agreement were regularly paid and respected,” emphasizes the announcement from Croatia Airlines.

The management of Croatia Airlines again “calls on the unions and all employees to deeply reflect on the significance and consequences of the strike at a time when we can all together create a solid foundation for business during the winter and the coming months, when passenger traffic and profitability are nearly nine times lower.”

The company emphasizes in today’s announcement that it “does not have the financial capacity to allocate an additional 53 million kuna annually and fulfill more than 150 demands of the ORCA union, and if the strike actually occurs, such possibilities will not exist in the future.”

>>>The management of Croatia Airlines claims that the aircraft are safe and that staff are not leaving the company

Meanwhile, Croatia Airlines spokesperson Davor Janučić dismissed claims after the meeting that the management did not offer anything to the unions. “The unions requested an increase of 53 million kuna, the management offered 13 million,” he said.

Croatia Airlines’ announcement reminds that the ORCA union rejected salary increase offers of 2.5 percent on two occasions, along with other benefits (Christmas bonus, severance pay…) at the end of 2017 and mid-2018. “By rejecting these offers, unfortunately, all employees of Croatia Airlines suffered financial losses, as they will again suffer even greater losses now,” claims the company management.

They announce that all information for passengers will be regularly published and updated on the company’s website www.croatiaairlines.hr, and a contact center is also available for detailed information.

>>>Operational revenues of Croatia Airlines in the first quarter amounted to 257 million kuna

Additionally, Croatia Airlines announced last week that losses for the company for each day of the strike would amount to up to 800 thousand euros and that the strike on the first announced day would affect nearly 7,000 passengers.