The Independent Customs Officers' Union of Croatia warned on Wednesday that "chaos and dictatorship" reigned in the Customs Administration, supporting the Customs Union of Croatia in its demand for an increase in the job complexity index and its announcement of a strike.

The head of the Independent Customs Officers’ Union of Croatia, Zeljko Popovic, said that customs officers and union members were discriminated against and denied the right to training and education.

Popovic supported the Customs Union of Croatia, which has demanded an increase in the job complexity indices for customs officers, and warned that Customs Administration director Hrvoje Covic was exerting pressure on union members and leaders.

He added that Covic had been reported to Ombudswoman Lora Vidovic for violating rules and for treating customs officers unequally.

Popovic also dismissed Covic’s statement that customs unions did not have the right to organise a strike.

“The director is claiming falsely that customs officers cannot go on strike because ‘they are not in a representative union’, which is not true,” Popovic said, accusing Covic of exerting pressure on customs officers and interfering in union activity, as well as of indirectly instructing customs officers which unions to join.