"There can be no sustainable tourism without good and adequately paid workers," the leader of the STUH union of hospitality workers, Eduard Andric, told state news agency Hina in an exclusive interview, warning that wages in the tourism sector are still up to 20 percent below the national average.

“If workers continue to emigrate in search of better jobs, it will be difficult to ensure sustainable tourism because sustainability is also about good workers who have been in short supply in Croatia’s tourism sector for years,” said Andric.

“STUH and the Tourism Social Council have certain expectations from employers and the government in that regard,” Andric said, inviting them to “a dialogue on emergency measures to protect tourism workers’ economic and social rights.”

“STUH also has expectations regarding the new labor law, which is expected to be forwarded to the Parliament in September and is expected to enter into force on 1 January 2023,” Hina explained.

“We particularly have expectations regarding the status of seasonal workers and permanent work contracts. It is yet to be seen whether changes will be adopted under which permanent seasonal workers would be given permanent contracts and a permanent remuneration, while being allowed to work, during periods when there is no business activity, for another employer who would pay their contributions, with their pension insurance being covered, and then return to their original employer when there is work,” said Andric.

He noted that he was aware that it was not easy for employers to raise wages because of the coronavirus pandemic, inflation, and especially increasing prices of energy and other products, adding that what had been achieved in the past couple of years was “not sufficient.”

“Wages in Croatia, including in tourism, are among the lowest in the EU, the country ranks fourth from the bottom, and this year’s tourism revenues have already been eaten up by inflation,” he said.

“STUH hopes that the new tourism development strategy, expected to be adopted by the end of the year and go into force next year, will be consistently implemented and that it will bring about necessary changes to the benefit of workers in the hospitality sector, with higher wages and greater job security than has been the case so far,” Andric said.