ZET unions warned on Sunday that workers at ZET and Zagrebački Holding are subjected to a media and political hunt, and that they are being portrayed as greedy black-mailers. The statement was published on the Facebook profile of the Trade Union of Bus and Tram Transport in Croatia – Zagreb, with the message: 'Enough lies!'.
The union stated that their 'temporary step out onto the streets and strike were not caprice or arrogance', but 'a cry of despair from people pushed to the wall after months of ignored, false promises and work in conditions dangerous to life'. It was noted that the state and the City take over 1,250 euros in taxes and levies from each of them. They warned that every day they risk their lives, as well as those of citizens, due to the 'catastrophic' condition of the vehicle fleet, and that workers are threatened with dismissal if they refuse to take on defective vehicles. The unions recalled that negotiations for the collective agreement had lasted more than 100 days, with the message: 'Without a satisfied, secure and fairly paid worker, there is no safe and functional Zagreb'.
The Trade Union of Transport and Municipal Services also spoke out on Facebook on Sunday, publishing an illustrative example of the pay rise proposed by the ZET Management, which includes a 4.5 per cent increase in the basic salary. According to the examples shown, salaries would rise by an average of 50 euros per month. The range of increases is from 33.29 euros for the position of cleaner to 87.30 euros for managerial positions, while the increase for tram and bus drivers is shown as 57.88 euros. Thus, a salary of 1,509.80 euros would rise to 1,567.68 euros.
The calculation shows the basic salaries of new ZET employees registered in the City of Zagreb, single without children, employed from 1 September 2026, with a full hours quota of 176 hours in September, across various positions. The amounts primarily relate to work in the first shift without additional payments for overtime, public holidays, and work on Saturdays and Sundays, while for tram and bus drivers, additional payments related to shift work and other forms of work have been included. The publication is signed by the President of the Trade Union, Dražen Jović.
The three-day strike by workers of Zagrebački Holding and ZET was called off on Wednesday without an agreement between the unions and the employers, during which public transport and waste collection were suspended. The County Court ruled in separate decisions that the strike was illegal, and the Zagreb County Court's decision of 30 September determined that there is no valid collective agreement in ZET. The ZET Management called on the unions to urgently sign a new collective agreement for a period of three years, with the next pay run to be made in the coming week.
The Zagreb Mayor, Tomislav Tomašević, stated on Friday that workers at ZET are offered a pay rise of about 9 per cent. According to the offer of the ZET Management, this is a 4.5 per cent increase in the basic salary from 1 October, with the inclusion of an annual wage indexation, and a further increase in the basic salary of approximately 4.5 per cent from 1 January 2027. From the ZET Management, it was stated: 'If the unions do not urgently accept the offer to conclude a collective agreement, the Management will pay the salaries, but without the proposed increases in the basic salary.'
