"TEHNOS": WE AREN'T GOING TO CUT OFF ELECTRICITY TO CITIZENS

ZAGREB, Feb 25 (Hina) - If on 4 March a strike begins in the Croatian Power Supply Company (HEP), the independent trade union of HEP operations workers called "Tehnos" will not cut off electricity to citizens, but the work stoppage can lead to the reduction in the provisions of power, the union's leaders said at a news conference on Tuesday. #L# "The media misinterpreted our announcement of the strike," Tehnos leaders added. "The cuts in the power supply were mentioned only as a possibility so that we could show to the HEP management that we are the irreplaceable staff in the company without whom the HEP cannot function," they added. They explained that they would not switch off power but that at 6 am (March 4) they would retain the scope of the production which they produce at night, which might cause some problems due to increasing demands for the supplies over the day. According to Tehnos representatives, this should cause damage to the employer rather than households. The unionists, however, added that they hoped that no industrial action would be needed, as they had some indications that the HEP management was willing to negotiate with this Union. On Tuesday, the HEP CEO, Ivo Covic, called Tehnos representatives for talks. Tehnos, which includes 1,700 HEP employees, i.e. a smaller part of all employees in this state-run company, insists on a collective agreement which would categorise their workplaces and envisage awards for difficult working conditions. The Tehnos leader, Miljenko Prugovecki, condemned a recent statement of Premier Ivica Racan who labelled the union's announcement for the strike as the sheer threat and blackmail. Racan also announced that power supplies would not be cut off for households and that those who threatened to stage the strike would be excluded. According to Prugovecki, this represented a breach of the human rights and rights of workers. (hina) ms