CUSTOMS OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE STRIKE FOR JUNE 20

ZAGREB, June 18 (Hina) - The Croatian Customs Union will begin a warning strike on June 20, dissatisfied with the bad working and material position of customs officials, due to the fact that union requests were not heeded at Tuesday's meeting at the Finance Ministry. #L# "At a meeting held at the initiative of Finance Minister Mate Crkvenac, our problems, which have been accumulating for years, were not solved, because the employer has offered nothing," the union president, Zeljko Popovic, told reporters after the meeting. The strike will begin on Thursday at 8am at all border crossings and customs outlets and will last until 10pm the next day, Popovic said. During the strike customs officials will inspect every vehicle in detail, which could significantly slow down traffic. Unionists are asking for a branch collective agreement, salary bonuses for special working conditions, an accelerated retirement plan and increased coefficients. "Our employer does not understand the position of customs officials who, with an average salary of 2,900 kuna, lag behind other civil servants by 40 percent," union representative Goran Vlahov said. The union gathers 1,400 of the total 2,800 customs employees, and 80 percent of members will be on strike on Thursday, Popovic said. (hina) lml