Croatian trade union federations will not organise a traditional May Day protest march from Zagreb's main square Trg Bana Jelacica to Maksimir Park this year fearing that it might be used by political parties for electioneering purposes.
"We don't want our march to be used for political purposes considering the fact that this is an election year," the coordinator of five trade union federations, Damir Jakus, said at a press conference on Thursday.
He added that the trade unions would not want to upset the successful social dialogue with the government and the employers. "We have achieved quite great successes in the social dialogue recently because the government and the employers have agreed to some proposals which the trade unions consider important."
The trade unions will not take part in the election campaign, but will try to use the pre-election period to obtain as many concessions as possible.
The Croatian Association of Trade Unions (HUS) will mark May Day by protesting against declining living standards and the further closure of companies, especially those in the real sector, HUS leader Ozren Matijasevic said.
Matijasevic said he would spend May Day in the Trimot company in Imotski, which is facing bankruptcy, to once again draw public attention to the government's negative attitude towards the textile industry.
