IRONWORKS' UNIONS TO CONVENE MEETING ON COMPANY'S FATE

SISAK, March 1 (Hina) - A coordinating body of unions trying to save the Sisak ironworks decided on Saturday to convene a meeting of all responsible for the company on March 4 as a result of the latest developments surrounding the company. #L# Invited to the meeting will be the company's bankruptcy administrator and representatives of the economy ministry, the bankruptcy council of the merchant court in Sisak, the board of creditors, Russia's Mechel company and its Croatian subsidiary Conares Balkan, the county branch of the Social and Economic Council, the town and the county, and the union leaders. "Those who fail to turn up will be responsible for the fate of the ironworks and if workers take to the streets again," Mato Somic, a union representative, told a news conference. The economy ministry, the government, and Mechel are asked to resolve by March 4 all disputes regarding the sales contract signed on February 6 and its annexe of February 24. "If the disputes aren't resolved by then, there will be trouble," said another union representative, Mile Kondic. Speaking on behalf of the steel division workers, who despite all preparations were unable to restart production last night, and the ironworks' 1,700 employees, the coordinating body expressed bitterness over the latest developments. This body said Mechel had shown good will to restart production. "We can't see why the buyer and the seller can't agree to mutual benefit and spare the ironworks' workers from suffering because of it," said Somic. He added that if the sale to Mechel fell through, the government should take the responsibility to restart production and employ all workers. Simic asked the government to at once pay minimum wages for January as promised by Economy Minister Ljubo Jurcic and Prime Minister Ivica Racan on February 13. (hina) ha