UNIONISTS ANNOUNCE ALL-UNION ASSEMBLY

OSIJEK, Feb 21 (Hina) - The head of the Federation of Independent Croatian Unions (SSSH), Davor Juric, said in Osijek Friday that the first all-union assembly, scheduled for February 27 in Zagreb, would result in the adoption of a resolution proclaiming this year as a year of the struggle for workers' dignity. #L# Participants of the assembly will also make a decision according to which union federations should conduct a referendum among its members on the implementation of a general strike should negotiations on the Labour Act fail. At Friday's presentation of joint stances of five largest union federations about amendments to the Labour Act, Juric said parliamentary benches had during talks with union leaders supported the union suggestion that a discussion be held and deadlines set for the adoption of the overall labour and social legislature, not only a single labour law before the first reading in parliament, in according to the parliamentary rule-book. The text of a resolution of the all-union assembly, which is presented to the public for the first time, stipulates that temporary employment be an exception, not a rule, and a reason for such a form of employment should be stated. Unions will request lesser income taxes, that years of service be the basic measure for determining the amount of redundancy pay and the length of the notification for dismissal, as well as that workers should be included in supervisory committees of all companies and institutions which have at least 100 employees. Unions are also seeking an urgent drafting and application of a law on debts to workers, as well as the payment to employees who are not receiving salaries. (hina) lml sb