Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic on Thursday refuted press articles saying that the government "has made peace with employers," stressing that between the government and employers "there was no conflict so there can be no peacemaking."
Speaking at the start of a government session, Milanovic said the government and employers had a "constantly dynamic relationship in which order is being sought, in which the government knows the whole time that something must first be created in order to take through taxes, but also that there must be order in taxes."
He said every government member had a role in the dialogue with employers.
Economy Minister Radimir Cacic, too, said there had been no conflict between the government and employers, adding that employers had sometimes criticised the government and that criticisms were welcome but that some had been groundless.
Finance Minister Slavko Linic said this was a frivolous topic and a "provocation" but stressed that he was entitled to clearly say what he thought of some unionists.
"Employers are one of the government's social partners and we talk with them," he said, adding that "if someone is incompetent and abuses an association for politicking, Slavko Linic will say so."
