On Thursday Croatian MPs seconded the law which regulates the compensation of Plobest employees, that is 566 employees who have been exposed to asbestos in their workplace, while the opposition calls for the repeal of time limit for recognition of compensation claims.

The law on compensation for employees of the Plobest d.d. company from the town of Ploce provides for compensation of employees who worked for the company in the period from 8 October 1991 to 21 October 2002, and spent at least 5 years at the company.

According to the bill, employees of Plobest d.d. and Plobest d.d. in bankruptcy, or their legal successors, will be compensated with HRK 219,000 in three HRK 73,000 installments, starting from the enforceable decision. The first installment will be paid by the end of 2020, the next one by the end of 2021, and the final one by the end of 2022. For that purpose a fund of HRK 41.3 million has been provided.

MP Miro Bulj from the Most Party said that all employees should receive a compensation, including those who worked at the company before the specified date, and those who worked there for a period shorter than 5 years, and he is calling for the repeal of the time limit.

The State Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Energy Mile Horvat said that the reference dates were decided on according to the following criteria: 8 October 1991 as the date of the declaration of independence of the Republic of Croatia, and 21 October 2002 as the day before the establishment of the new company, which is not registered to work with asbestos.

On Thursday, MPs seconded without objections the amendments to the law on the Croatian registry of vessels, by which that law was brought into conformity with the latest amendments to the maritime code.

(€1 = HRK 7.44)