UNION PROTEST ANNOUNCES FURTHER PRESSURE ON GOVERNMENT

ZAGREB, June 21 (Hina) - Some 10,000 public servants protested in downtown Zagreb on Thursday requesting a concrete solution regarding salary cuts in their sector. They announced further public pressure on the government and state institutions unless solutions were provided. The leaders of the Council of Croatian Public Service Workers Unions, which organised the protest, maintain a new salary system has reduced salaries by 10-35 percent for the majority of the 100,000 public servants. They request holding the government accountable for "having deluded the public" by saying individual net salaries would not drop. Unhappy with the salary cuts, workers in the culture, science and health sector read during today's rally open letters to Prime Minister Ivica Racan, his deputies Goran Granic and Slavko Linic, Finance Minister Mato Crkvenac, Justice Minister Stjepan Ivanisevic, "the creator of the new salary system", Health Minister Ana Stavljenic-Rukavina, and MPs Vesna Pusic and Mladen Godek. The letters say the politicians did not keep their pre-electoral promises, did not respect rights envisaged in work agreements, and that party policy was more important to them than settling their voters' existential problems. It was announced the first actions against the government would be filed in a fortnight for failure to pay out salaries in line with work agreements. Zagreb police confirmed the protest passed without incidents or need to intervene. The protesters dispersed peacefully around 13.00 hours. (hina) ha sb