Most hospitals in Croatia were operating smoothly on Monday morning when the Zajedno trade union of diagnostic, laboratory, radiology and ambulance staff went on strike demanding higher pay.

The managements of KBC Hospital Sestre Milosrdnice in Zagreb, KBC Hospital Zagreb, KBC Hospital Split and several other hospitals reported that medical services were provided properly.

According to the hospital administrations, there were no workers on strike in some hospitals.

The chairman of the Zajedno (Together) healthcare workers’ union, Krunoslav Kusec, told the Croatian news agency Hina on Monday morning that participation in the strike, which began on Monday morning, was high.

The strike, called by the union to demand an increase in basic salary of at least 20 per cent and a revision of the wage coefficient regulation, is taking place in 58 healthcare facilities, according to Kusec.

An estimated 4,000 employees in diagnostics, laboratories, radiology and patient transport are taking part in the industrial action, he said.

The union has 4,000 members and the healthcare sector in Croatia employs 74,000 people.