Union: Collective bargaining for regular bus services has fallen through

"Instead of an expected pay rise, bus drivers are now faced with their companies struggling to survive and keep jobs," the SSSH said in a press release.

After Transport Minister Oleg Butkovic recently announced that finally after three wasted years, everything was ready for a collective agreement to be signed with bus companies, the SPHV transport and communications workers' union and the Drivers and Transport Workers' Union convened a meeting with the Croatian Employers Association coordinating body for public bus transport to launch negotiations on a collective agreement for the sector.

However, instead of negotiations, HUP announced that some county and inter-county bus lines for distances of up to 100 kilometres were being abolished because county authorities have deferred signing agreements on public bus services.

Problem escalated with alignment with EU regulations

The problem escalated more than three years ago when the state started to align its regulations with EU directives and not one county has still signed an agreement with private bus operators who during that whole time, despite the pandemic, have maintained regular services in the interest of citizens, workers and students, the SSSH said.

According to EU rules, agreements have to contain a diesel clause on oscillating fuel prices and a clause on changes to the cost of labour, that is, a collective agreement.

Agreements for public services do not cover as many as 2.8 million Croatians and an additional blow was restricting the maximum monthly amount for student passes that the Ministry of Science and Education introduced back in 2018.

Despite the continual increase in costs, state subsidies are not being realised, the SSSH warned.