ZAGREB, July 6 (Hina) - According to information from the Croatian Telecom (HT) management, eight percent of HT employees participated in Friday's strike, while the State Union of Croatian Post and Telecommunications Employees and the
Osijek Telecom Union said 53.5 percent of HT workers took part in the strike. HT spokesman Marijan Jurleka told Croatian Television tonight the HT management had done all it could to secure regular functioning of all HT systems. An attempt to switch off the tariff system at an HT centre was thwarted, he said. The tariff system was switched off only briefly, for 2-3 minutes and the unions had threatened switching it off to see if the HT was capable of preventing such actions, the president of the State Union of Croatian Post and Telecommunications Employees, Jadranko Vehar, said. Due to the strike, the 988 information service did not function as the management demanded, so
ZAGREB, July 6 (Hina) - According to information from the Croatian
Telecom (HT) management, eight percent of HT employees
participated in Friday's strike, while the State Union of Croatian
Post and Telecommunications Employees and the Osijek Telecom Union
said 53.5 percent of HT workers took part in the strike.
HT spokesman Marijan Jurleka told Croatian Television tonight the
HT management had done all it could to secure regular functioning of
all HT systems. An attempt to switch off the tariff system at an HT
centre was thwarted, he said.
The tariff system was switched off only briefly, for 2-3 minutes and
the unions had threatened switching it off to see if the HT was
capable of preventing such actions, the president of the State
Union of Croatian Post and Telecommunications Employees, Jadranko
Vehar, said.
Due to the strike, the 988 information service did not function as
the management demanded, so the HT engaged students.
HT's functioning was undisturbed as 1,100 workers were issued
compulsory work orders, 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 two HT unions went 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 the work agreement, and of avoiding
collective bargaining. The strike was also 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.
The HT spokesman, however, claims the HT management had given HT
unionists much higher guarantees than given by companies which have
undergone reorganisation. The HT has guaranteed to its employees
salaries for the next three years, five years of job security,
participation in the management of future partner companies and
serious investments, he said.
The average salary of HT employees is 5,024 kuna (approx. USD 584),
which, says Jurleka, is much higher than the state average.
Not giving up their demands, the unionists have announced new
protests.
(hina) rml