A meeting of the Economic and Social Council (GSV), consisting of representatives of the government, employers and trade unions, scheduled for Friday, was postponed after the unionists decided to boycott the meeting over the police protection of the official receiver in the stone and marble factory Jadrankamen in Pucisca on the southern island of Brac.
Leaders of the trade union federations insisted that Interior Minister Ranko Ostojic should have come to the GSV meeting to explain the reasons for Thursday's police intervention in Jadrankamen which they said was against the workers and shop stewards. However, Labour Minister Mirando Mrsic explained that Ostojic was unable to attend due to his prior engagements and that the assistant interior minister in charge of the police, who he said was the most competent person to explain the police intervention, would come.
After the unionists' refusal to come to the meeting, Minister Mrsic said that the government was committed to social dialogue but would not yield to blackmail from the unions.
We accepted the unions' motion to put energy prices and police conduct in the Jadrankamen case on the meeting's agenda, but they have not shown up although we ensured the attendance of the most responsible person who can provide us with all data on the police conduct, Mrsic said after the postponement of the meeting.
The Croatian Employers' Association (HUP) leader Ivan Ergovic said that social dialogue was very important for the current situation in Croatia.
We have adopted laws which we should respect. If the judge appointed the official receiver he must be able to do his job, Ergovic said in a comment on the Jadrankamen case.
The police were sent to Jadrankamen on Thursday to help the official receiver Ivo Bucan to enter the factory after he had been prevented by workers who oppose the bankruptcy proceedings. Several protesting workers were detained and released by the police later on Thursday. Workers came to work on Friday morning.
