Trade unions of industrial workers within the SSSH trade union federation have begun consultations on organising a general strike to voice their dissatisfaction with the overall situation in the economy, and the strike is likely to be held in the week after Easter, SSSH leader Ana Knezevic announced at a news conference in Zagreb on Wednesday.
The general strike, which will most probably last one or two hours, would take place in Zagreb, Osijek, Split, Rijeka and possibly in some other towns as a precursor to a major protest planned for Labour Day, 1 May.
"Jobs are lost, prices are rising and while other countries are encouraging production and spending, Croatia is doing the opposite," Knezevic said.
She said that the absence of measures to stimulate production and spending and the introduction of the crisis tax on all incomes were the main causes of soaring unemployment.
According to the latest figures released by the National Employment Office (HZZ) on Wednesday, the total number of unemployed Croatians rose to 317,625 in February, the highest number in nearly five years.
"We have warned that the crisis tax will cut the purchasing power and turnover in the retail sector, and this has happened. As a result, jobs have been lost with the tendency of increasing unemployment," Knezevic said.
The SSSH has proposed changes in the calculation of the minimum wage saying that the current calculation, which is linked to GDP trends, would lead to a reduction of the minimum wage.
The SSSH proposes adjustment of the minimum wage to the consumer price index.
