”We need to give up one percent of the profits for the benefit of our workers if we want to run a successful business in the long run,” says Bruno Bulić, an advisor and former trade unionist. The move marks some welcome news for the employees of the Maslinica hotel group.
As Glas Istre/Branko Biocic writes on the 17th of August, 2019, the hotel company Maslinica d.o.o. from Rabac, which is otherwise Italian-owned, has decided to pay another 2,000 kuna net to all employees who were employed in July, regardless of their type of contract with the company. This financial reward will be given to 317 workers who have completed a successful July and peak tourist season. The Maslinica company has three hotels, two restaurants and a campsite for a total of 4.5 thousand tourists.
Former trade unionist Bruno Bulić says that this is a new wage policy.
”July brings with it the most work and work during that month is the most demanding and difficult. Unfortunately, workers have so far received the lowest wages in July, because there are no holidays in that month to increase wages. If there is not even a little satisfaction among the workers, then there will be no business success as tourism is a labour intensive activity where there is direct contact between the recipient and the provider. If workers are dissatisfied with the job, the wages, and their treatment at the company, then that contact is certainly not at the level it should be when the employees are satisfied,” stated Bulić, adding that everything he has advocated for as a unionist, he is now trying to apply as a manager, with the aim of making workers more satisfied, naturally leading to a more successful company.
In regard to this year’s tourist season, Bulić says the number of overnight stays is in some areas below last year’s level, in some places on 2018’s level, and in some places above last year’s level, but things have greatly depended on individual destinations.
”In terms of revenue, our camping season has been better than last year’s was, while in regard to hotels, we’re at last year’s level. As for the number of overnight stays, there’s been 1.5 percent less in the camps and 5-6 percent less in hotels,” he said.
”What is problematic in Croatian tourism and what we ourselves are guilty of is our previous attitude towards guests, ie, the price rises, our behaviour, and more. There has been a change in the structure of guests, unfortunately for us that’s worse. We need to give up one percent of the profit for the benefit of our workers if we want to run a successful business in the long run, and rely more on local staff, or the local population. We at Maslinica took that route. If you place a person who does not know the language, culture and customs of the destination where he works, it’s the same as putting a robot in that job,” says Bulić, adding that the local population cannot live six months off their wages from work and then six months off the benefits provided by the Employment Service. That’s why people leave us. We need to make sure that people work eight to ten months,” says Bulić.
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