Negotiations failed, Croatia Airlines on strike?

Negotiations between the Management Board and the union of Croatia Airlines failed to reach an agreement.

Negotiations between the Management Board and the union of Croatia Airlines have not reached any agreement and the unions are continuing with preparations for the February strike.

We have not made any progress since the Management of Croatia Airlines remained determined to reduce salaries and impede other rights of our workers. Unions will probably organize a one-day warning strike after February 11, said the president of the Independent Trade Unions of vocational aeromechanic, Igor Pavelic.

Conflict was not helped by the presence of the Minister of Sea, Transport and Development Bozidar Kalmeta who said that government expects negotiators to “soften” their attitudes and find a solution. He also added that strike was not in anyone's interest.

Employee Benefits could drop between 20 and 40 percent

We will try to achieve agreement on Friday when we are scheduled to determine the scope of activities that cannot be interrupted even during the strike. If we do not find any resolutions, we will decide on the date of the warning strike and other subsequent actions, Pavelic said.

Syndicate representatives do not want to accept the January 1 decision of the Board which aims to replace the Collective Contracts with Regulations Document. According to this document salaries would decrease by 10 percent, per diem pay would drop by 30 percent, compensation for meals and transportation would get canceled, while both sickness leave and vacation times would get shortened.  

Possible strike

According to union calculations, employee incomes would decrease between 20 and 40 percent and the flight attendants would be seriously affected.

Unions offered five per cent wage reduction, continued advocating collective agreements, and persistence of negations process. According to Pavelic's words, the strike should be arranged by four of the five trade unions operating in the Croatia Airlines, which represents 70 percent of company’s employees.

Management warns that in the event of the strike the company will lose millions which would further aggravate the finances.