ZAGREB, Feb 18 (Hina) - Croatian Vice-Premier Slavko Linic on Tuesday spoke with representatives of the Croatian Railways Union (SHZ), but failed to reach an agreement on an increase of wages. The reason for this is, as Linic put it,
was that a collective agreement had been signed, and had been adopted by other unions which incorporate 80 percent of a total of 13,000 HZ workers.
ZAGREB, Feb 18 (Hina) - Croatian Vice-Premier Slavko Linic on
Tuesday spoke with representatives of the Croatian Railways Union
(SHZ), but failed to reach an agreement on an increase of wages. The
reason for this is, as Linic put it, was that a collective agreement
had been signed, and had been adopted by other unions which
incorporate 80 percent of a total of 13,000 HZ workers. #L#
The union on Tuesday organised a half-hour protest in front of the
Croatian government building. Some 300 unionists gathered, seeking
an increase in hourly wages by 20 percent and higher incentives, as
well as compensation for difficult working conditions.
According to Linic, the HZ management cannot adopt a rule book on
salaries by ignoring the collective agreement and had nothing to
discuss with the SHZ because the collective agreement had been
signed.
Since 1999, wages in HZ have risen by 34.6 percent, which is the
highest rise among all state-run companies, said Linic, adding that
this was the Croatian average.
The vice-premier said that problems in the company would be solved
with structural changes, the separation of the fundamental
activities and organisation to three fundamental branches:
passenger traffic, freight traffic and infrastructure. This will
be a subject for discussion in the government and parliament in a
month or two.
Representatives of this union said they were determined in their
demands.
(hina) lml sb