Croacia - Attacks on collective bargaining in Sisak

In 2017 a conflict arose between trade unions and the mayor of Sisak, a city southeast of Zagreb. The city, which owns a great number of public institutions and companies in the area, has deliberately and repeatedly undermined the collective bargaining rights of trade unions. At the instruction of the mayor, the directors of these companies have bypassed negotiations with trade unions and have concluded agreements directly with works councils on a number of issues that, by law, can only be negotiated with trade unions. Unions filed a report with the State Attorney’s Office on 13 March 2017. However, they have received no information since then. Unions are contemplating the submission of a complaint to the ILO Committee on Freedom of Association to denounce this blatant attack on collective bargaining.