ZAGREB, Oct 23 (Hina) - Around a hundred commissioners of the Croatian Telecommunication Workers Trade Union (HST) rallied in front of the Croatian Telekom (HT) main offices and the government building in Zagreb on Thursday to protest
against the announced dismissal of surplus labour and a reduction in investments.
ZAGREB, Oct 23 (Hina) - Around a hundred commissioners of the
Croatian Telecommunication Workers Trade Union (HST) rallied in
front of the Croatian Telekom (HT) main offices and the government
building in Zagreb on Thursday to protest against the announced
dismissal of surplus labour and a reduction in investments. #L#
HST leader Josip Pupic said that the HT was being pressured by its
majority owner, Deutsche Telekom, into laying off surplus labour,
particularly vehicle maintenance workers, thus violating a
previous agreement on labour retraining.
He criticised the government for doing nothing to carry out capital
investments although an agreement between the government and
Deutsche Telekom on the sale of 16 percent of HT shares envisaged
some three billion kuna worth of capital investments in 2002, of
which only 30-35 percent was realised.
"This could soon result in the sacking of as many as 3,000 workers,"
the union leader said.
He also slammed the government for giving in to pressure from
Deutsche Telekom and giving up plans to allocate seven percent of
company shares to former and current employees, and called on the
government to sign an agreement to that effect.
He urged the government to soon organise a meeting, to be attended
by the premier, government ministers, members of the HT supervisory
board and union leaders.
Pupic said that he would call on HT workers to stage a protest rally
and go on a general strike if no agreement was reached at the
meeting.
Today's protest was supported by the Croatian Postal Workers Union
and the Croatian Post and Telecommunications Workers Union.
HT spokesman Marijan Jurleka told reporters that the company had
not laid off any workers and that it was considering ways of
providing for surplus labour, including 86 maintenance workers.
Solutions include transfer to sister companies, termination of
employment by consent with severance pay, or transfer to other jobs
within the HT, he said.
The government's public relations office today issued a statement
saying that the HT's 2001 profit of 310 million kuna remained in the
company, as did 90 percent of the 2002 profits.
Last year, company's shareholders were given dividends totalling
186 million kuna, while retained profit was invested mostly in
technological development and the modernisation and upgrading of
the telecommunication system, the government said.
It also stated that the HT was a very competitive employer, with an
average gross salary totalling 8,040 kuna.
HT employees are also entitled to holiday grants and Christmas and
Easter bonuses, the government said.
With regard to the request for the allocation of seven percent of
company shares to HT workers, the government said that it could not
meet the request that shares be granted free of charge given the
fact that working conditions in the company were more than good.
The government's office for social partnership called on the union
to attend a working meeting on Monday, October 27, to discuss these
problems.
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