WORKERS' UNIONS CALL FOR URGENT ECONOMIC, SOCIAL MEASURES

ZAGREB, Jan 20 (Hina) - Due to the difficult economic and social situation in the country, the new government will not have a single day of grace and it must urgently adopt measures for solving economic and social problems, said Boris Kunst, president of the Federation of Workers' Unions of Croatia (URSH), in Zagreb on Thursday. The URSH will try to harmonise its draft measures with other union federations and employers and hand them to premier designate Ivica Racan by January 27, when Racan will be appointed premier, Kunst said. The URSH believes that due to the "sliding devaluation, which in reality is silent inflation," the lowest basic salary should be increased to 1,800 kuna for the first half of 2000, and to 2,000 kuna for the second half of this year. Kunst also urges the establishment of protected prices for basic food stuffs and utilities for the most destitute categories of population. The new authorities have to immediately start the revision of ownership transformation and privatisation as well as launch investigations against those involved in suspicious financial transactions and bank transfers and 'deals' involving the shares of certain funds. The URSH will next week present evidence on manipulations by the Zagrebacka Banka and one of the leading Croatian tycoons, Kunst said. The new government must discontinue benefits for state officials, especially parliamentary representatives, and determine the real amount of parliamentary pensions, he stressed. The union also expects changes to a whole set of laws regulating labour and economic and social relations as well as the establishment of a tripartite social dialogue and partnership between the government, unions and employers. (hina) rml