Shops in Croatia can extend working hours to midnight

03/09/2008

New, relaxed regulations on shop hours have labour unions and the Church up in arms.

By Natasa Radic for Southeast European Times in Zagreb -- 03/09/08

A new regulation in Croatia allows shops to stay open till midnight. [File]

Shops in Croatia used to be open from 6am until 9pm. Now, under a new regulation, owners can set their own closing times, keeping the doors open until as late as midnight.

Deputy Prime Minister Damir Polancec said the rule will stay in effect at least until October 11th, the official end of the tourist season. At that point, the government will reconsider the move.

Labour unions and the Catholic Church strongly oppose it. Kresimir Sever, president of the Independent Croatian Labour Union, said business lobbies have scored a victory at the expense of workers, who may find themselves pushed into shifts lasting more than eight hours – in violation of labour laws.

"It is clear that the new regulation to work till midnight was decided by someone who drives to and from work. How will a shop worker manage to close down by midnight, clean up and then go home?" Sever said at a press conference. "Most [cannot afford] a car. They use public transportation instead, which after midnight is often unavailable."

Local governments in the tourist-dependent coastal region, however, strongly supported the change. At the same time, Croatian national television aired a story in which foreign visitors overwhelmingly called for longer store hours during peak season, the practise in other European countries with significant tourist industries.

Entrepreneurial associations have remained officially neutral, refusing to comment for fear of compounding worker discontent.