ZAGREB, Feb 28 (Hina) - The Croatian Telecommunications Union (HST), the largest union at the Croatian Telecom (HT), is satisfied with a signed collective agreement, while five other unions are organising protests and seeking a
continuation of negotiations on collective agreements. The salaries of HT workers will not fall by 20% due to the recently signed collective agreement as claim unions organising protests looking for the agreement to be annulled, HST president Josip Pupic told Hina on Thursday. On the contrary, he continued, the agreement will make it possible for the salaries of HT employees to grow 10% this year. This has already been confirmed by the fact that the average salary for January jumped from 5,045 kuna to 5,250 kuna, Pupic said. Five HT unions, headed by the Republic Union of Croatian Post and Telecommunications Employees, are organising protest rallies every Thursday, starting last week, asking for the d
ZAGREB, Feb 28 (Hina) - The Croatian Telecommunications Union
(HST), the largest union at the Croatian Telecom (HT), is satisfied
with a signed collective agreement, while five other unions are
organising protests and seeking a continuation of negotiations on
collective agreements.
The salaries of HT workers will not fall by 20% due to the recently
signed collective agreement as claim unions organising protests
looking for the agreement to be annulled, HST president Josip Pupic
told Hina on Thursday.
On the contrary, he continued, the agreement will make it possible
for the salaries of HT employees to grow 10% this year.
This has already been confirmed by the fact that the average salary
for January jumped from 5,045 kuna to 5,250 kuna, Pupic said.
Five HT unions, headed by the Republic Union of Croatian Post and
Telecommunications Employees, are organising protest rallies
every Thursday, starting last week, asking for the dismissal of the
company's management board chairman, Ivica Mudrinic, the annulment
of the collective agreement signed by Pupic and the HT management,
and a continuation of collective negotiations.
The new collective agreements guarantee HT workers' salaries to be
harmonised twice a year with the cost of living.
Christmas bonuses was set at 1,000 kuna and compensations at 2,100
kuna for this year, 2,600 next year and 3,200 kuna for the year
2004.
The five unions are requesting that the average salary be increased
to 5,700 kuna, Christmas bonuses to 1,900 kuna and compensations at
the level of the average salary, 5,700 kuna.
Pupic asserted that the president of the Republic HPT union,
Jadranko Vehar, who has been accusing Pupic of signing a "quisling"
agreement with the HT management, has signed a much worse
collective agreement for the Croatian Posts (HP).
Employees of the HT will this year be receiving two salaries more
than employees at the HP. Moreover, salaries at the HT are being
harmonised with the cost of living, while at the HP they are fixed,
bringing HT employees an additional half a salary this year, about
1.5 a salary next year and two and a half salaries in 2004.
HP workers also have shorter vacations, lesser Christmas bonuses
(600 kuna) and compensations (1.588 kuna), he said.
The Croatian Postal Union last June reached an agreement on very
favourable conditions for a HP collective agreement, but Vehar
refused to sign it because he did not participate in the
negotiations. He is now repeating the same scenario, Pupic said.
(hina) lml sb