ZAGREB, May 21 (Hina) - Representatives of the Ministry of Education and Sports and the Independent Union of Employees in Secondary Schools are near initialling a branch collective agreement and so the strike in secondary schools
could be over this evening, the ministry reported on Tuesday evening.
ZAGREB, May 21 (Hina) - Representatives of the Ministry of
Education and Sports and the Independent Union of Employees in
Secondary Schools are near initialling a branch collective
agreement and so the strike in secondary schools could be over this
evening, the ministry reported on Tuesday evening. #L#
During a break in negotiations, Minister Vladimir Strugar told
journalists the union accepted a branch collective agreement the
ministry proposed last Saturday. The ministry has refrained from
imposing the agreement until the end of 2006, while the union's
demand for the agreement to be valid until December 31, 2003 has
been met.
The union has settled for material rights to be applied as of next
year and not immediately as it demanded previously, Strugar added.
He could not say whether the strike would end today, estimating that
only the union could make this decision because it organised the
strike. "I can only invite professors to turn up at work and
students to attend classes tomorrow", Strugar said.
He added that he and the president of the Independent Union of
Employees in Secondary Schools, Andrija Puljevic, could only
initial the agreement this evening. The agreement will need to be
signed by the minority "Preporod" union as well.
Negotiations are continuing.
(hina) sp sb