Zagreb strike declared illegal, services set to resume

ZAGREB, 30 September 2026 – Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević has said public services in the capital should resume after the Zagreb County Court ruled that strikes at Zagreb public transport operator ZET and Zagreb Holding were illegal.

The court issued separate rulings on Wednesday, following three days of industrial action that significantly disrupted public transport and waste collection across the Croatian capital.

The ruling concerning Zagreb Holding found that a collective agreement provision on maintaining social peace was still in force when the strike was launched. The court therefore ruled that the strike had been initiated prematurely and prohibited its continuation. The ruling can be appealed.

The court subsequently also ruled against the legality of the ZET strike.

Following the ruling concerning Zagreb Holding, the Čistoća waste collection service formally ended its strike and trucks began returning to Zagreb’s streets.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Tomašević said the court decisions were expected and argued that the strikes had been organised without first establishing the minimum essential services that would have to continue operating.

He said workers have a constitutional right to strike, but that this right must be balanced with citizens’ rights to health and personal safety.

“You cannot leave a city of a million without any public transport,” Tomašević said.

He also criticised the decision by union leaders to launch what he described as a total strike without agreed minimum services, saying this had affected residents and the functioning of the city.

At the same time, the mayor called on residents to treat ZET and Zagreb Holding employees with respect.

“I understand the frustration, but I call on all citizens of Zagreb to treat ZET and Holding workers with full respect,” he said, stressing that the workers perform difficult and important jobs essential to the functioning of the city.

Tomašević thanked Zagreb residents for their patience during the three-day disruption, including those who avoided leaving bulky waste on the streets, shared cars with neighbours and colleagues, or helped people who had to walk because of the disruption.

He said waste collection had already resumed and that public transport would also resume once the necessary technical conditions were in place.

The dispute between the city administration and the unions has centred on pay, working conditions and the arrangements governing essential services during industrial action. Before Wednesday’s final rulings, the court had rejected requests for temporary measures to stop the strikes while the legality cases were being considered.

The court decisions mark a new stage in the dispute, although the wider disagreement between the city administration and unions over workers’ demands remains.