Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader Zoran Milanovic on Sunday signed a trade union petition for a referendum against government-proposed amendments to the Labour Act, calling on citizens to join him so that the remaining 250,000 of the required 450,000 signatures could be collected by the deadline of June 23.
"I appeal to all citizens to come out and sign the referendum petition because it concerns everyone, every family, and that's why it's important for them to respond," Milanovic told reporters in Zagreb's main square.
He recalled that he supported the trade union initiative from the outset and that his signature today was just a formality.
Milanovic said that the existing Labour Act protected workers' rights, which were in danger, and added that such legislation should be changed only exceptionally and after lengthy negotiations, and not overnight as was being attempted by the government.
"We can see that even the unreasonably high number of signatures required for the referendum does not present an obstacle, but we nevertheless won't give up our initiative to have the number of signatures required for a referendum reduced from 10 per cent of all 4.5 million registered voters, which is more than Croatia's population, to five per cent," Milanovic said.
About 57 per cent of the required 449,506 signatures have been collected in the past four days, said the head of the Croatian Association of Trade Unions (HUS), Ozren Matijasevic.
"I appeal to citizens to come out and sign the petition because in that way they will support workers' rights and will send a message to the politicians that they must govern this country to the benefit of its people," Matijasevic said.
