HT: DURING STRIKE TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEM WILL FUNCTION NORMALLY

ZAGREB, Sept 9 (Hina) - Despite the Croatian Telecom (HT) Unions' previous announcement the citizens might experience problems in use of the telecommunication equipment during the three-day strike next week, the HT Board of Directors claim they will make sure the system will work with no glitches. HT Unions have threatened they will switch off the call compensation system and make difficult the use of the telecommunication system when announcing a strike before, but all these threats proved untrue, the HT Board of Directors stated. The Unions' announcement of the September 12-14 strike came after their demands for signing of a new collective bargain, and the demand for HT to return the debt in the amount of 170 million kuna ($20,7 million) to its workers, had been ignored. Their third demand, for HT restructuring, was labelled "instrumental" by the Board of Directors, and is aimed at preparing the company for the market deregulation and competition. For that purpose, HT will relocate 1.404 workers from the catering, maintenance, protection and car park maintenance by the end of the year. Their jobs and the same amount of pay will be guaranteed for the next three years by the HT management, plus an additional two years in case their new companies have cash-flow problems. The workers will also keep the benefits guaranteed by the HT, who will sign a five- year use of service contracts with the new companies. HT also claims it will invest a significant amount into those companies, and will cover their expense account for three years. The Unions, however, are not satisfied with those guarantees, and demand that the workers receive benefits according to the old collective bargain for four years, plus additional four years after they receive notice, severance pay in the amount of 100.000 kuna ($12,000), and severance pay under the termination of the work contract in the amount of a monthly pay per year of experience. (hina) js