UNION LEADERS THREATEN WITH STRIKE IF GOVT FAILS TO WITHDRAW DRAFT CHANGES TO LABOUR ACT

TUHELJSKE TOPLICE, April 2 (Hina) - Croatian union leaders on Tuesday threatened with joint union action, including a general strike, if the government fails to withdraw its draft changes to the Labour Act. #L# "If the government and employers tomorrow do not meet our request, we will use force to make our social partners sit at the negotiating table and discuss the status of employed and unemployed persons in Croatia," the president of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Croatia (SSSH), Davor Juric, said after a meeting of the leaders of five union federations in Tuheljske Toplice today. The meeting lasted several hours. Saying that the government's draft changes to the Labour Act were completely unacceptable as they drastically reduced workers' rights, the union leaders requested the establishment of a tripartite commission to propose entirely new draft changes. If the government refuses the union request at tomorrow's session of the Economic-Social Council (GSV), the unions, which are signatories to the "Partnership for Development" programme and GSV members, said they would leave the agreement and discontinue social dialogue. This means that along with the SSSH, which left the "Partnership for Development" last week, the remaining three union federations - the Council of Croatian Public Service Workers, the Croatian Association of Trade Unions and the Association of Workers' Trade Unions of Croatia - would also leave the agreement. The unions, government and employers signed the social agreement last December. The government and employers should voice their stand on the union demands at a GSV session scheduled for 4pm tomorrow. Among other things, the government draft envisages cuts in severance pays and a shorter period of notice and enables the employer to lay off surplus labour more easily. (hina) rml