INFO OF THREE TRADE UNIONS - Issue 2 - October 29, 2025
Yesterday, the Workers' Council, an important body that has been operating in INA continuously since 2011, was dissolved. For the first time in 14 years, we will not have a Workers' Council.
Yesterday, the Workers' Council, an important body that has been operating in INA continuously since 2011, was dissolved. For the first time in 14 years, we will not have a Workers' Council, due to a court dispute initiated by the Independent Trade Union of Workers of Croatia (NSRH), dissatisfied with the election results. The negative consequences of their trade union struggle will be felt by all INA workers. The employer can now make all decisions independently, without the need to consult the Works Council. Protected INA workers and veterans, who are the most exposed, will no longer have the protection of the Works Council in terms of substitute consents for the dismissal of employees, which has guaranteed them additional protection and security until today. This means that they can get fired more easily.
Also, there is no more continuity in social dialogue, nor consultations on organizational changes. We can thank this to the trade union struggle of the Independent Trade Union of Workers of Croatia.
In addition, according to the agreement with the employer, there have been 17 members of the Works Council so far, and according to the new one there will be 13. The idea of representative trade unions has always been to involve as many workers as possible in the protection of workers' rights, because a larger team can always achieve more and share more knowledge and experience. Thank you to the NSRH for the excellent fight for workers.
Due to the court decision, we held meetings at the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy and the Office for Social Partnership of the Government of the Republic of Croatia. We have launched an initiative to amend the Ordinance on the procedure for the election of the works council due to the specifics of working conditions, work in shifts, work at workplaces with special working conditions or in the field outside the employer's headquarters. The court declared postal voting to be the exception, not the rule. We believe that voting by mail is the right way for all workers, regardless of their location of work and the specific conditions in which they work, to be free to express their will and participate in the elections, if they so wish, by delivering a ballot to their home address.
The court verdict is final, the works council is no longer there. We are preparing for new elections for the works council. On this occasion, we invite all INA workers to participate in the next elections in even greater numbers. Only together can we stop the smearing to which we are exposed, as well as the degradation of the company's reputation, which the NSRH recklessly encourages.
The deceptions of the NSRH are clearly manifested in the facts:
There has always been a place for constructive trade union cooperation in INA. In the case of the NSRH, there are no concrete results, but there are demolition and discord. We tell them that we have a ready answer for all their initiatives.
We have submitted an initiative to the employer for the start of collective negotiations in the INA Group and we expect a response soon on the date of the start of negotiations.
Although they are convincing workers on the ground otherwise, the truth is that the NSRH is not preparing for collective bargaining at the moment, because it is not a representative union. Their promise to raise wages and strike has the same value as the government's promise to cut government spending. However, by seeking representativeness for collective bargaining, the National Council of the Republic of Croatia weakened the position of trade unions and workers before negotiations and thus gave a great advantage to the employer.
Employers like unions to argue, because in this way they strengthen their negotiating position.
Since the National Council of the Republic of Croatia requested the determination of representativeness, which it did not achieve, this allows the Employer to propose the conclusion of a new collective agreement according to the Representativeness Act, i.e. the Employer may request that negotiations be started from the beginning for INA, STSI and IMS. In this case, all workers lose their existing rights and return to what is prescribed by the Labor Act. For the first time since 1996, instead of fighting for an increase in wages and other material rights of workers, we will fight for a collective agreement. For the first time since 2016, since we have collective agreements for an indefinite period of time, we are losing that and returning to the Labor Act. In addition, the employer, if he wishes, can request that negotiations be conducted for each company separately, which can again lead to differences in workers' rights within the INA Group, which we have been fighting against for years.
It is true that the National Council of the Republic of Croatia has never signed a single collective agreement in a multinational company so far. One of them, which they signed in the company in Rijeka, does not have nearly the same rights as INA workers and without an increase in existing salaries.
What exactly has the NSRH achieved for the benefit of workers?
Haven't we become a training ground for an inexperienced union that has not fulfilled any promises so far?
We are not afraid to take responsibility, we do not hide behind politicians, because we believe that the workers of INA Group see our contribution and that they will know how to reward it when the time comes.
