ZAGREB, Aug 28 (Hina) - The Croatian Association of Trade Unions (HUS) might leave the Partnership for Development deal if the government okays an increase in the prices of energy products and adopts unfavourable conditions for the
privatisation of state and public companies, the HUS said on Wednesday.
ZAGREB, Aug 28 (Hina) - The Croatian Association of Trade Unions
(HUS) might leave the Partnership for Development deal if the
government okays an increase in the prices of energy products and
adopts unfavourable conditions for the privatisation of state and
public companies, the HUS said on Wednesday. #L#
The government has made decisions about higher prices for
electricity and gas without consulting the unions, which might
prompt the HUS to leave the social pact, HUS president Zdenko
Mucnjak told reporters.
This Friday the HUS Presidency should decide as to its future in the
pact, which the government, employers, and unions signed late last
year.
According to Mucnjak, the unions find a government draft annexe on
privatisation and the restructuring of the economy completely
unacceptable.
The unions demand a basic discount of 20 percent and an additional
one percent per year of service.
The president of the oil industry INA workers' union, Maja Rilovic,
demanded that shares be repaid in instalments over a 20-year period
as 90 percent of workers would not be able to pay them in cash at
once.
The unions estimate that the increase in electricity and gas prices
will increase living costs by five percent. The unions will
therefore urge employers to raise workers' salaries by as much,
said Mucnjak.
He demanded that the government postpone deciding about the price
increases and privatisation until these issues are harmonised by
the Economic and Social Council.
Mucnjak announced that next week union federations' leaders would
meet to consider joint actions against the government's disregard
for social dialogue and ignoring of unions.
(hina) ha sb