Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomasevic said on Thursday, after municipal sanitation workers ended their four-day strike, that no sanctions would be taken against the strikers and that the remaining six unfulfilled demands would be discussed with the unions over the next month.

The City of Zagreb wants the workers of the Cistoca sanitation company to be satisfied so that they can do their job after the introduction of the new waste collection charging system, the mayor told a press conference after the meeting at Cistoca.

“I signed for five of the demands to be fulfilled immediately, while the remaining six will be discussed over the next month to see how to fulfil them without making it untenable for Zagreb Holding (multi-utility conglomerate) and Cistoca,” he said.

Among the demands that were accepted are new job classification, detailed guidance on work operations, better work equipment and free parking for workers near the Cistoca headquarters.

The demands that require further negotiation include a base pay increase of at least 12%, a permanent supplement of €200, and pay grade index increases for workers in the lowest job complexity group and for truck drivers.

Tomasevic appealed to the citizens for patience, asking them to observe waste separation rules to make the work of Cistoca staff easier.

“I signed that there would be no sanctions against the workers involved in the illegal strike, and workers have begun carting away the waste. Let’s clean up the city!” the mayor said.

Tomasevic joins collectors in streets of Zagreb

After the talks on Thursday morning, Tomasevic, clad in the uniform of Cistoca workers, joined binmen and worked with them all the morning with an explanation to get a better insight in their daily work routine.