WORKERS UNIONS OPPOSE DEMANDS OF BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO

ZAGREB, May 3 (Hina) - Croatia's tobacco industry workers' unions believe that by demanding that regulations on the tobacco industry be changed the British American Tobacco (BAT) is blackmailing Croatia, and meeting its demand would result in the loss of jobs in the Rovinj Tobacco Factory (TDR) and leave several thousand households growing tobacco jobless. This was stated at Thursday's news conference in Zagreb by union commissioners of the Zagreb Tobacco Factory (TDZ), and "Istragrafika", "Duhanprodukt" and "Virzinija" companies, which are operating within the TDR concern. The union commissioners said they represented more than 90 percent of Croatian tobacco industry workers and supported consistent implementation of Croatian laws and regulations concerning tobacco production and processing. The commissioners believe the multinational concern BAT is exerting pressure on the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. BAT's actual goal is not a complete production process - from tobacco growing and processing to the production of cigarettes - the company intends to "purchase tobacco in Hungary or some other country and only package and sell it in Croatia," the unionists said adding they feared for the jobs of tobacco industry workers if the government gave in to BAT's pressures. (hina) sb rml