After talks with union activists in the national railway operator HZ on Tuesday, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Bozidar Kalmeta said that railway workers received their salaries regularly and had a collective agreement guaranteeing their rights, and that no one was denying that the HZ needed more investments, which he added the government was working on.
Several hundred HZ unionists today protested outside the ministry to warn about a difficult situation and inadequate investment in the HZ.
Investments in the HZ this year amount to around three billion kuna, of which one billion is intended for infrastructure and 300 million for the rolling stock, Kalmeta said, adding that the amount of the investment was like in previous years.
"I have sent the government a proposal to adopt a decision to buy seven new electric commuter trains. The government would finance the purchase with 20 percent of the funds, while the rest of the funding would be provided by HZ Putnicki Prijevoz (HZ Passenger Transport) and the City of Zagreb," said Kalmeta.
He recalled that two such trains, manufactured by the Croatian companies Koncar and TZV Gredelj, were already in operation, while the third, diesel-electric train for regional transport, would be put in operation next month.
Kalmeta dismissed unionists' claims that the government would seek a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to finance construction work on the Peljesac bridge instead of taking a loan to modernise the HZ, saying that there was no connection between the two projects, that an EBRD loan for the modernisation of the HZ's rolling stock, restructuring and severance packages was still being considered, while the Peljesac bridge would be financed by another loan.
