ZAGREB, May 20 (Hina) - Prime Minister Ivica Racan on Monday expressed regret at the strike in secondary schools, claiming that a strike at this moment and in this fashion without first exhausting all other opportunities for discourse
and agreement, was an act of irresponsibility.
ZAGREB, May 20 (Hina) - Prime Minister Ivica Racan on Monday
expressed regret at the strike in secondary schools, claiming that
a strike at this moment and in this fashion without first exhausting
all other opportunities for discourse and agreement, was an act of
irresponsibility.#L#
The greatest damage of the strike will affect students and their
parents, Racan said on Croatian Radio and added that information he
had indicated that 30 percent of high school were on strike and 40
percent of the teachers employed in them.
Racan said that regardless of all the criticism, the Education
Ministry was in this case faced with unclear union demands, while
those formulated clearly were unacceptable.
Instead of insisting on the Fundamental Collective Agreement (for
public servants) to be applied, they are insisting on its changes
while changes to the agreement in some sections just aren't
possible, he said.
He dismissed (union) claims that changes to the agreement would not
cost anything. Claims that this will not incur any costs, are
ridiculous. They would in fact cost billions and this could only be
taken from citizens, i.e. parents, he said.
A decision on whether the strike was lawful or not, should be
brought by the judiciary, he said and added that there was no peace
making process.
He claimed that the strike organisers should take responsibility
for the consequences including a cut in pays.
It is regretful that the strike eventuated. This is just another
typical example of trying to resolve matters in a way that is not
good. Instead of dialogue, this type of unilateral move does not
help in resolving matters, Prime Minister Racan said.
(hina) sp sb