Zagreb Airport employees announce imminent strike
Employees at Zagreb Airport are threatening with industrial action over the concession agreement signed between the Croatian government and the airport’s future operator Zagreb Airport International Company, a consortium led by Aéroports de Paris. It comes after reconciliation talks between the union of Zagreb Airport Employees and the management failed last Friday. The Union has outlined seven conditions to its employer which includes the immediate halt of the airport’s takeover, an investigation into the concession agreement, pay guarantees for employees in advance of one year and appropriate government measures against the airport’s management which the union says has “damaged the airport’s financial credibility and reputation”.
The employee union has not specified when it will launch industrial action but says it is prepared to do so after its terms were not met. “Given that all possibilities for a social dialogue with the management have been exhausted, we announce possible industrial action in the near future”, the union said in a statement. The original takeover of Zagreb Airport on behalf of the French led consortium was planned for early this year. Problems with the airport’s employees have delayed the start of construction of Zagreb Airport’s new terminal which has now been postponed until the first quarter of 2014. The concession agreement foresees the transfer of employees from the Zagreb Airport company to the Zagreb Airport International Company, a move workers are unwilling to make.
The head of the union, Ante Dujić, has appealed for the government to terminate the concession agreement, adding that the entire project has been shrouded in secrecy. “We are not afraid to fight for our rights through industrial action”, Mr. Dujić says. This week the union began its preparations for strike. In a statement, Zagreb Airport’s management said, “The union has rights to outline its own terms but the management must act in accordance to the law”. The Ministry for Sea, Transport and Infrastructure has extended its support to the management.
OT:
ReplyDeleteAir India and Adria signed codeshare agreement, they will be operating flights from Delhi to Ljubljana with stopover in Frankfurt, starting in second week of December.
More: http://ttgasia.com/article.php?article_id=22077
Sorry for OT, I have published same comment also under the recent post on Adria's CR2. Admin, feel free to erase this post here if you think OT is inappropriate. Again, it would be great to have a sort of forum where those OTs could be discussed since rarely anyone checks comments under old posts after few days.
It's not Air India flying to LJU. Its just them flying to FRA and then you can transfer to JPs flight to LJU
DeleteI don't get it, why would anyone fly via FRA to LJU when a flight via IST is far more direct?
Delete2 segment path DEL-IST-LJU 3643mi, DEL-FRA-LJU 4191mi.
DeleteOnly way I could see this working is offering dirt cheap prices or much better product. I can see none of these to become reality in the foreseeable future. TK has much better product than AI/JP and they are offering good prices and excellent connections to India via IST. For example, LJU-IST-DEL or BOM in March 2014 for as low as 512EUR return, w/ around 2 hours connecting time in both directions in IST.
Anyone w/ any idea how this AI/JP partnership can compete w/ TK and survive?
this is non dense deal arranged by some incompetent fullidiot at JP or SI government
DeleteAI for them this signed deal is nothing else than one more deal somewhere attracting some more pax. FRA DEL is operated with 788. they fill it easely with local german pax and if pax fm slo want to access flight they for sure will pay more than TK rate
but JP guy probably making party about new deal arranged. etc etc
probl the same guy who was dreaming of regular AI flghts landing in LJU
We may have entered the EU, but we still haven't left Yugoslavia...
ReplyDeleteSure, company which signed concession contract was opened in UK just few days before signature with 1,00 EUR capital. And we are «Balkan mentality»?
DeleteThe same thing is bribe. Sanader is in prison and who are those who gave bribery in Croatia:
Hypo – Austria
Mercedes – Germany
Mol – Hungary
Patria – Finland
etc, etc...
And are those managers in prison now? Crime is to get bribery but same crime is to give one! And we are unmoral, we are Balkanians....?
@AnonymousNovember 13, 2013 at 10:21 AM
DeleteIf you think something is wrong report it to USKOK, its doing a rather good job in Croatia and only agency that can actually do a proper investigation of this deal in full!!
French offered best deal for the airport, they've raised all the money (despite what jutarnji lists says) and has long standing history of operating airports in Europe, Asia and Africa, with main airport in Paris being highly profitable and commercially successful. And no company isn't fake and wasn't established only days before they made an offer for Zagreb airport, they just formed a division that did the bidding for the airport as there were more than one partner involved after all project value is 326 million euros, not easy money to get by in harsh economic times.
What thee unions are doing is not only illegal even by croatian laws, but down right stupid and greedy, they want to sign as new contract with 160 000 kuina being paid to them upfront and than sign another 5 year secure employment contract, you know what, I'd give them 160 000 kuna redundancy payment, but than i'd fire every single one of them, and hire new staff that will work for airport and not for the Balkan mentality.
Fire every single individual that goes on strike, Croatian unemployment is at all time high now with 344000 out of work, I'm sure we can find 1000 new staff out of these, give them training and qualify them to clean, operate ground handling equipment and man the air traffic control,
Sure airport would have little or no traffic for 1-2 months but it'll be back to full after 3-4 months and with in 6 months it'll operate like a clockwork without militant union pigs who eat for 4 grown men and shit for 6.
Croatia is in the EU now, you have issues, contact EU commission and human rights lawyers if you think your rights have been violated.
end off
ADPI is not main partner just minor one - against tender
DeleteNew company opened with capital of 1,00 EUR to sign contract - against tender because there was limit of capital in company
Concession contract is secret - illegal
etc. etc.
at least questionable.
^ Patria from Finland also bribed in Croatia?!
DeleteThey definitely bribed politicians in Slovenia to sell them their crap...
Janez Jansa took money from Patria and was sentenced for it.
I think the whole EU-membership is about corruption,bribing etc.
Disgusting but hey we are Slovenia and Croatia...
We are the most civilized of the former Yugoslavia.
We do everything better...
Even our corruption is on a very high level of civilization...
@AnonymousNovember 13, 2013 at 4:39 PM
DeleteIf you have any regarding any programs in Croatia, be it airport, patria or w.e you have Uskok to talk to, feel free to contact them, ask them to investigate!
The fact that you are making assumptions does not mean it happened or is so.
Sure, airport tender was agreed during HDZ rule, and it was when loads of corruption scandals started to seep in to public life, HDZ is well known for its corruption, current SDP government inherited obligations and must proceed with the project, despite what some might think.
What Airport union is doing is disgusting, greedy and I'd still fire every single one of them, replace them with staff that wants to work, current government can ill afford to pay damages to concessionaire for lost time and canceling the investment, we can' ill afford another MOL fiasco, where now we are left to clean up 2.8 billion euro mess. (49% stake in ina is valued at)
We must allow Airport de Paris ti take over running this airport and government must ensure that work is done by Croatian firms and to very high standard, which is the case as viadukt, hidorelktra are doing majority of construction works with Belgian firm providing glass and Siemens photovlotaic panels.
Any issues, I am sure USKOK would be on to them in no time!
Have faith for once, this project is good for Croatia and good for Zagreb.
@Anonymous 4:39
DeleteI am from serbia, and i dont think that any way or any kind of corruption could be civilized ;) And LOL for 'high level corruption'.. Hahaha
USKOK is political institution which prosecutes those politicians which they are instructed to prosecute, to show that government is doing something. How comes that only HDZ politicians were prosecuted? There is no bribery in SDP? Come on!!!! New Zagreb airport is "government" project don't be afraid there will be no prosecution on that issue.
DeleteYou didn't answer why concession contract is secret what is against law. And how comes that ADPI has just 10% of "shares" in ZAIC and by tender concession can be given to operator of airport who have at least 10 million passengers? Here majority of owners of consortium is construction company not airport operator what is against tender. And what about fact that tender instruct financial limits and than contract was signed by company worth 1,00 EUR?
ExYu sentence «consortium led by Aerports de Paris» is not true. One of main problems in this concession is that one of conditions in tender was that candidate for concession must be operator that operate airport with at least 10 million passengers. But Airport de Paris has just minority stake in consortium, even TAV + Istanbul airport have more than Airport de Paris and they were excluded from tender in 1st round. Consortium leader is construction company Bouygues which is well-known by questionable deals. Even in Croatia construction of Istria Y was full of scandals and controversies and Croatian government pay several billion kunas to Bouygues because of «problems» in concession contract for highway which is not finish after 18 years of concession.
ReplyDeleteCancel the contract and make a new deal!
ReplyDeleteAnd make every contract public so that everybody can read it.
AnonymousNovember 13, 2013 at 6:22 PM has gave the best answer to this topic...
ReplyDeletePeople that work at Zagreb airport, even on lower places have enormous salary... Baggage handler has around 10 000kn (~ 1300€)!!!
They are talking things like "we don't want foreigners, we can build the airport ourselves"... WELL; WTF HAVE YOU BEEN WAITING?!
Zagreb Airport looks so pathetic that I'm embarassed...
ZAIC will build nice airport, make it sucessful 'cause it's private money (which ALL BALKAN needs) and bye-bye no-place-directors with salarys over 20 000kn...
How are you 9A-CRO?????
ReplyDeleteI'm working like baggage handler and I have salary of 789€. Max salary is 990€ of employee that works with me. 18 people work per day on apron as baggage handler. Is this ok for you?? People in this job are becoming invalid because people with family connections get work in offices or job where there is not need to do something and have higher salaries then I have. So, can airport work without me or must have some guy in office with high salary who work nothing??? In transport sector work only 350 cca people, where is the rest of 1100 employees.
#@AnonymousNovember 13, 2013 at 8:59 PM]
Deletewell you Syndicate will fuck you up real hard, cause you like it not, investment is going to happen, you go on strike you'll be out of work, that's that. And why you ask, well there's little thing in a contract previous government signed, what happened if contract is canceled by Croatian Government, fines and penalties involved ensure you guys guys will have to accept the reality of be fired and replaced by an army of unemployed willing to do same job for a lot less.
Your sindikaci are all fat and do nothing for you, but sure they're trying to prop up themselves as some sort of heroes of the working classes by demanding unreasonable terms and demands.
u want better pay, first thing, get rid of fat sindfikaci who eat for 6 of normal men, and sit on their fat arses all day long, get rid of these parasites and your pay will instantly go up by 20% for they're thieving you and the airport badly needed money.
"you go on strike you'll be out of work"
Delete- it was civilization level in 18th century!!! Bravo, those are owners we want! Whit this kind of North Korea standards!
786 eur net or gross wage? btw u hve my biggest respect for working as a ramp agent. it s minus 15 c or plus 35 c u guys are always out there and turning around those flights within no times. whether there is snow wind or rain. it s a tremendous job and u re such an important factor. as important as everybody else whether they are pilots cargo agents atc agents or gate agents, but yr job is def one of the thoughest in the aviation sector. ufn much underpaid. good night fm zrh airport
ReplyDeleteUnless you live down under.
DeleteWhile pilots pay and conditions continue to deteriorate, ground handlers in Australia are being paid more and more to the point where Tiger Airways, Rex (regional express), Skippers aviation and in some cases Virgin Australia, oh and of course Jetstar ground handlers are paid on average more than their respective pilots!
Baggage handlers are not ramp agents.RAs earn more.
ReplyDeleteBaggage handlers have the worst job imaginable.
I know some and they say that loading the Embraers is the worst because you have to crawl all the time while loading and ruin your back.Other aircraft types are better.
But after some years you are wasted anyway.The back and the knees go downhill very fast in this job.
This is anywhere in the world like this.
My biggest respect for these people!
The article states that the unionists are about to take action because they are unwilling to move from "Zagreb Airport Company" to "Zagreb Airport International Company" as well as the lack of transparency of the contract.
ReplyDeleteMy question is as follows. What is the difference between these two companies, and why would the employees be against this move.
I would assume that a change in company would result in not all of the employees being transferred from one to another. If this is the case, it would not be a good idea to protest, in the eyes of the new employers.
strike has not yet been confirmed. probably will not be.
ReplyDeleteWorkers will automatically enter in Zagreb Airport International Company, and the next day after 24 hours will we under duress into a six new companies without right which will we get from the government.
It's so annoying when you have people who can't see past the end of their own noses. Legacy left over from the old communist times I guess.
ReplyDeleteLike I said before, this project is way over due and all the people of Zagreb airport who are opposed are just continuously disadvantaging themselves and Zagreb.
If this was built by now and functioning, Zagreb would have been in a prime position to take full advantage of the growing Croatian and Ex Yu tourist market and ready for the economic recovery period which is coming.
Now Zagreb is not even playing catch up yet. All you fools who can't see past the end of your own noses, just watch while every other airport takes what could have been Zagreb's.
I just don't think you guys realise the potential you had, and I stress had, because the horse may have already bolted.
To illustrate what I mean by potential, let me just remind you that before the stuffed up the concession process was complete, that no less than 10 major companies from around the world were interested in the take over. From Asia to the Middle East to the USA all were interested in transforming Zagreb airport into a regional leader and now we are just left with maybe one.
FOOLS!