MORE THAN HALF CROATIAN TELECOM WORKERS PARTICIPATE IN STRIKE

ZAGREB, July 6 (Hina) - The republic union of Croatian Post and Telecommunications employees and the Osijek Telecom Union have said 53.5 percent of Croatian Telecom (HT) workers have taken part in Friday's strike. HT's functioning is undisturbed as 1,100 workers have been issued compulsory work orders, republic union president Jadranko Vehar told a makeshift news conference in front of the HT building in downtown Zagreb. The strike has been an outstanding success in Varazdin, Cakovec, Rijeka, Pazin, and Zadar, whereas other centres reported a 60 percent turnout, according to Vehar. The strike failed in the southern Adriatic city of Split where a union, which did not respond to the strike, is active. The tariff system was switched off only briefly, for 2-3 minutes. Vehar said the unions had threatened switching it off to see if the HT was capable of preventing such actions. Due to the strike, the 988 information service did not function as the management demanded, so the HT engaged students. The two HT unions have gone on strike accusing the management of "throwing (1,404 workers) into the street" by restructuring secondary activities, not recognising a 150 million kuna debt owed employees due to breaches of a work agreement, and of avoiding collective bargaining. The strike has also been spurred by the sale of 16 percent of HT shares to Deutsche Telekom. The unions seek that workers in secondary activities be guaranteed four years of material rights and further employment at the HT, and another four years of protection from bankruptcy. They also seek the payment of compensation and the aforementioned debt in monthly instalments, as well as the resumption of collective bargaining. (hina) ha sb