The eight trade unions at the Zagreb public transport company ZET announced on Monday that they would stop public transport for 10 minutes on Wednesday noon, in protest against government's plans to abolish reduced retirement age for some professions.

The protest will be carried out in coordination with other transport unions from major cities of Split, Rijeka, and Osijek, meaning public transport would be brought to a standstill in the four largest cities in the country.

Unless the government accepts unions’ demands, a larger protest will also involve road transport workers, railways, and war veterans’ associations from all over the country, union leaders said in a news conference on Monday.

Anto Jelic of ZET’s Drivers’ Union apologised in advance to all citizens for the protest, and asked them to understand that public transport workers are only fighting for their rights.

“Our goal is to reach an agreement on reduced service years for retirement, as drivers of buses and trams simply cannot work until the age of 67,” Jelic said.

Public transport unions are demanding for workers in the sector to be allowed to retire at 57 years of age, provided they have at least 25 years of service. They also want the government to reduce penalties for early retirement, and postpone the raising of retirement age until work conditions improve in Croatia.

They also demand reduced service years for emergency medical teams and workers in medical transport, and for drivers of firefighting trucks keep their already existing right on the reduced age of retirement.

Follow N1 via mobile apps for Android | iPhone/iPad | Windows| and social media on Twitter | Facebook.