摘要：With this paper, the authors endeavoured to find answers to the question on the role of trade unions in mitigating the negative effects of current economic crisis and finding the effective responses to the crisis. For this purpose research was carried out in December 2013 and January 2014 by way of a questionnaire containing 22 questions which was sent out via e-mail to 160 trade unions in Croatia. The results of the research can be summed up as follows: the number of industrial actions increased, there can be observed a decline in trade union density and in readiness to adjust working conditions and temporarily reduce the rights of workers due to the crisis in consultation with employers. However, fragmentation of trade union scene, insufficient development of social dialogue, and inappropriate legislative response proved to be an obstacle to appropriate and rapid solutions aimed at a flexibilisation of employment relations in the times of crisis.
