SISAK IRONWORKS WILL CONTINUE OPERATING

SISAK, Oct 31 (Hina) - The bankruptcy manager of Sisak's Ironworks, Ilija Maric, stated at a meeting of the town leadership on Thursday that he had been given guarantees "by Deputy Prime Minister Slavko Linic that the Ironworks will continue operating, either under the current owner, the Austrian-Russian concern 'Trubo Impex', or with some other partner, or as a state-owned company". #L# "The government will help the current owner in talks with the Croatian Power Industry, the Croatian Oil Industry and banks, on condition it pays workers' wages," Maric said. Maric said that the month-long deadline he had given the company's management and owner to fulfil their obligation from the sales contract towards the workers - to pay August and September wages - expired on October 25. "After that deadline the contract can be terminated," Maric said. Maric said that on November 4 he would ravel to Moscow to meet the chairman of the company's supervisory committee and owner's representative, Vladimir Malinin. Should the current owners fail to pay August and September wages next Monday or Tuesday, November 4 and 5, the sales contract will be terminated and the company start looking for new partners, Maric said, adding that in that case the obligation to pay overdue salaries would be assumed by the bankruptcy estate management. The company's union commissioner, Mato Somic, said that the workers requested the payment of overdue wages, the regulation of property relations and the re-starting of production. He recalled that the current management, with Kresimir Landeka at the helm, had extended workers' forced holidays until November 30. (hina) rml sb