TEACHERS UNION SATISFIED WITH SALARY INCREASE

ZAGREB, Nov 30 (Hina) - The Croatian Teachers Union is satisfied with the government's decision to allocate an additional 200 million kuna for employees in schools, which will raise the salaries of primary school teachers by ten percent next year. #L# "We are satisfied that the government is fulfilling its obligations from the 'Partnership for Development' social agreement and is increasing investments into education and science," union leader Dalimir Kuba said at Saturday's news conference. Funds earmarked for education will next year reach 3.44 percent of the Gross Domestic Product, and the average in the European Union is 3.55 percent of GDP. Kuba expressed hope that Croatia would reach the EU level as soon as in 2004. He refuted the claim of the leader of a secondary school teachers' union that employees in secondary schools would only get a seven percent raise. "Our colleagues cannot count, because their salaries, too, will grow by ten percent," Kuba said. It was no secret that salaries in education would increase because the government announced this at the very start of negotiations. This was also known to the coordinating body of five school unions before it began a day-long strike last week, Kuba said. (hina) lml