Bargaining for working conditions and social rights of migrant workers in Central East European countries (BARMIG), National report: Croatia

In recent years, general labour shortages have caused Croatia to become highly dependent on migrant workers. The national economy has been faced with a huge outflow of the labour force following accession to the EU, which has been most prominent in the public health-care sector. The construction sector is facing growing labour shortages and in the next ten years, most of the workers in that sector can be expected to be foreigners. Croatia recently amended its formerly rigid and restrictive legislative framework regulating the work of third country nationals. However, the country still lacks a consistent and forward-looking migration policy that would view labour force immigration as an opportunity for economic and social development. There is a further lack of policies that would facilitate the integration of migrant workers and their families into Croatian society. In national social dialogue forums, the topic of migrant work has not yet gained the importance that it deserves. This is due in part to the relatively small number of migrant workers as compared to Western European countries. In recent years, social partners have become more aware of the importance of third country nationals for the smooth functioning of the Croatian economy. Nevertheless, both trade unions and employers lack strategies for dealing with this group of workers.