Around 2,000 union activists and citizens rallied for a half-an-hour protest in the central square, from where they proceeded to St. Mark's Square, where the government and parliament buildings are located and where union leaders handed in to government and parliament officials symbolic yellow cards with union demands.

The protest was organised by the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Croatia (SSSH), the Independent Croatian Trade Unions (NHS), the Croatian Association of Trade Unions (HUS) and the Association of Workers' Trade Unions of Croatia (URSH).

"If in a year's time, by the next International Workers' Day, the situation in Croatia does not get better and the government and Parliament fail to take the course for which they were given support by voters, red cards will be issued here, meaning that Parliament will be busy calling new elections," SSSH leader Mladen Novosel said.

Union activists warned that the economic and social situation in the country was becoming increasingly difficult, that living costs were growing at an increasingly high rate, that the minimum wage accounted for only 35.9 percent of the average salary, while the average pension was below 40 percent of the average salary, 68 percent of workers received below-average salaries and three in four Croatians had problem covering their monthly expenses.

They demanded of the government what they called Agenda 22 to enable the restarting of production and creation of new jobs without changes to the Labour Act, an increase in the minimum wage, regular payment of salaries and contributions, and the strengthening of collective bargaining and social dialogue.

"We want the government to take the course it promised to Croatian citizens. Agenda 22 is a warning, and if necessary, the trade unions will make Croatia turn red (with red cards) even before 1 May 2013," Novosel said.

In their addresses to the protesters, the leaders of the four trade union federations mostly criticised the government over its decision to increase the VAT rate from 23 to 25 percent and its latest decision to increase prices of electricity and natural gas by 20 and 22 percent respectively.

"We had expected Agenda 21 (the ruling coalition's election platform) to bring improvement, but instead we have an average salary that barely covers 10 days' living costs and an average pension on which it is impossible to exist," said Novosel.

Commenting on the low turnout for the protest rally, NHS leader Kresimir Sever said that people no longer trusted anyone, including themselves, because political elites had managed to "kill faith in them".

HUS leader Ozren Matijasevic attacked the "bank lobby" which he said was "lending Croatia, at loan-shark interest rates, money stolen by taking its banks."

Commenting on Economy Minister Radimir Cacic's statement that citizens would be able to pay higher electricity bills if they saved on their mobile phone bills, URSH president Damir Jakus said that "those who can't pay their electricity bills have no money for mobile phones."

Today's protest rally was not attended by the Council of Croatian Trade Unions (MHS) whose leaders said that their members were not interested in such initiatives. This year again, trade unions did not organise any events in Zagreb's Maksimir Park where the city authorities traditionally organise celebrations of International Workers' Day, with free bean soup meals and entertainment programmes.