SEVEN MORE UNIONS TO JOIN PARTNERSHIP FOR DEVELOPMENT

ZAGREB, Feb 15 (Hina) - Seven humanitarian, economic and workers' unions will soon join the social agreement "Partnership for Development", the government's Office for Social Partnership said in a statement Friday. The intention to adopt the document aimed at strengthening the general national consensus on the country's strategic development issues has been announced by the Croatian Humanitarian Network, which includes over 70 humanitarian associations, the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts, an umbrella organisation of more than 100,000 small businessmen and several bigger unions operating outside trade union federations, including the Croatian Postal Workers' Union, the Croatian Telecommunications Union, the Croatian Railways Infrastructure Workers' Union, the Union of Engine Drivers of Croatia, and the Union of Istria and Kvarner. Along with representatives of the government, employers and unions, representatives of the said unions will take part in a forum of the Economic and Social Council, which is to tackle the most important development issues. The government, the Croatian Employers' Association and four trade union federations, with the exception of the Independent Trade Union of Croatia, signed the social pact in December 2001. The document was later joined by some other employers' and workers' unions. (hina) np sb