TEACHERS' UNION: 50% OF UNION MEMBERS ON STRIKE

ZAGREB, Jan 15 (Hina) - Around 50% of union members are taking part in Wednesday's day-long strike of secondary school teachers, organised by the Independent Union of Secondary School Employees, union leader Andrija Puljevic said. #L# According to data collected by 11 am, employees in 191 of 333 schools where the union has members were on strike. A total of 6,012 out of 12,060 union members were on strike, which is a good response, the union leader said. Puljevic expects that the response could rise to 80% of union members because classes in many schools are organised in two shifts. The best turnout was reported in Osijek, Istria, Split and Slavonski Brod-Posavina counties, while teachers in the Gospic, Medjimurje, Koprivnica and Varazdin areas did not go on strike. Accusing the government of having selectively increased the salaries of secondary school employees thus causing bigger differences, the union demands a 14% rise in teachers' salaries and a 20% increase in the salaries of non-teaching staff. Referring to the Labour Act, Puljevic reminded that the government was obliged to pay the strikers the hours spent on strike. Final data on the turnout are expected this evening. (hina) rml