ABOUT 400 WORKERS OF VUPIK STAGE STRIKE

VUKOVAR, Feb 15 (Hina) - Some 400 workers of the food-processing plant VUPIK in the eastern town of Vukovar, went on strike on Tuesday, according to announcements which leaders of the PPDIV trade union gave a few days ago. The workers who are on strike are members of the union called PPDIV (which stands for the trade union of workers in agriculture, food processing industry, tobacco industry and water management). The rest of some 500 workers, members of the Slavonian-Baranja trade union, led by Jovica Zivanovic, have not joined those who are conducting strike. Leaders of the PPDIV branch in VUPIK demand from the Government to carry out all decisions which the former Government, led by ex- Premier Matesa, had made concerning this state-owned company. This particularly referred to the 13 January decision about the then Government's pledge to earmark 13.8 million kuna, in a form of a loan, for paying salaries to VUPIK workers by the end of February. According to the leader of the PPDIV branch in VUPIK, Zdenko Lovric, workers will not resume their work until they are addressed by officials from the Government. They insist on an unambiguous statement of the Government whether the country needs VUPIK and on the destiny of the company, owned completely by the state. They also demand the convening of an assembly of all employees at which VUPIK workers can be acquainted with the entire situation in the firm and hear about possible measures for overcoming problems such as delays in paying their salaries. According to Lovric, the management owes six monthly salaries to workers and there is now no indications when employees can receive their earned income. (hina) ms