EMPLOYERS BACK IN LABOUR LAW NEGOTIATIONS

ZAGREB, April 25 (Hina) - Following its meeting on Friday with Croatia's Premier Ivica Racan, the Croatian Association of Employers (HUP) decided to return to negotiations on changes to the Labour Law (ZOR), one week after it abandoned the negotiating table claiming that the government was giving in to union demands. #L# HUP president Ivica Mudrinic announced after the meeting that employers would return to the negotiations seeing that contentious issues had been explained regarding redundancy payments. On Friday morning, the HUP leaders and Racan discussed severance pays, working hours (paid lunch breaks) and workers being included in supervisory boards. The interlocutors agreed that a working group in charge of adjusting views on contentious issues over the changes to the Labour Law should hold another meeting next Monday. By then HUP should have some concrete proposals to make. The entire task surrounding the amendments to the ZOR could be completed on Monday if the unions don't come up with any new demands, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Davorko Vidovic told journalists. The government is steadfast over the proposal that workers take part in supervisory boards but at the same time is open to flexible solutions, Vidovic said. As far as redundancy payments and dismissal notices are concerned, an agreement should be achieved on Monday. The government is also adamant that workers with up to 20 years in service should not have redundancy payments reduced. As far as working hours are concerned, or rather, paid lunches, Vidovic believes this can only be resolved through the new ZOR. Mudrinic added that the ZOR should be put in the context of creating conditions to increase competitiveness of Croatia's economy and workers' rights can only truly be protected through investments and development of entrepreneurship. (hina) sp ms sb