PULA, Nov 27 (Hina) - The president of the Association of Trade Unions of Croatia (URSH), Boris Kunst, voiced hope on Thursday that the new premier would not repeat the mistakes of his predecessor, "who met with the social partners
only six months after the elections".
PULA, Nov 27 (Hina) - The president of the Association of Trade
Unions of Croatia (URSH), Boris Kunst, voiced hope on Thursday that
the new premier would not repeat the mistakes of his predecessor,
"who met with the social partners only six months after the
elections". #L#
"The new government should hold talks with its social partners at
the very beginning of its mandate," Kunst said at a news
conference.
"The HDZ has been given a big new chance to make good for conducting
an immoral privatisation process until 2000 and not to repeat the
same mistake of letting tycoons plunder citizens," Kunst said.
He added that the elections were conducted as expected and that the
biggest losers were former coalition partners the Social Democrats
and the Social Liberals. It has been proven that people remember
promises and punish if they are not fulfilled, Kunst said.
Along with the announced reduction of the VAT rate to 20 percent,
the URSH also seeks the introduction of a five-percent VAT rate for
basic food products, children's footwear and clothing, and an
increase in unemployment allowances, as well as an urgent reform of
the judiciary. The union also advocates the reduction of the number
of ministries, but it also warns that job safety has to be taken into
account in doing so.
(hina) rml sb