OSIJEK, March 28 (Hina) - The supervisory board of Croatia's food-processing company "Belje" believes the company's strikers are acting against the law, and has to that effect suggested that the company's management warn the
organisers of and participants in the strike about repercussions, which include layoffs. Employees in what was once the strongest food-processing company in eastern Croatia went on strike on Monday due to five unpaid salaries, blocking the Bilje road and claiming they would not stop until their demands were met. The chairman of "Belje's" supervisory board, Zeljko Svedl, told reporters in Osijek on Tuesday the Labour Law is not familiar with "road blockades." Svedl believes there is actually no strike, since most workers are at work. The strike was not announced in line with the law, nor has the conciliation process ended legally, he added. In strike, machines must
OSIJEK, March 28 (Hina) - The supervisory board of Croatia's food-
processing company "Belje" believes the company's strikers are
acting against the law, and has to that effect suggested that the
company's management warn the organisers of and participants in the
strike about repercussions, which include layoffs.
Employees in what was once the strongest food-processing company in
eastern Croatia went on strike on Monday due to five unpaid
salaries, blocking the Bilje road and claiming they would not stop
until their demands were met.
The chairman of "Belje's" supervisory board, Zeljko Svedl, told
reporters in Osijek on Tuesday the Labour Law is not familiar with
"road blockades."
Svedl believes there is actually no strike, since most workers are
at work. The strike was not announced in line with the law, nor has
the conciliation process ended legally, he added. In strike,
machines must be at rest, while "Belje" workers are using them to
block roads, disturbing public peace and order, which is against
the law, he asserted.
According to Svedl, when "Belje's" supervisory board and
management were appointed at a late February session, they reached
an agreement with unions to the effect of stopping all forms of
union activity over the next three months.
The union of workers in the agricultural and food-processing
industry on March 20 issued a note demanding that at least one
backlog salaries be paid out over the next five to ten days, Svedl
said. This has been complied with, since the payment of the October
salary has begun today, he stated, adding the union, however, was
now demanding that at least three salaries be paid at once.
"Going out into the streets is causing new damage to the company,
and such behaviour is leading the company into bankruptcy," Svedl
said.
"Belje's" management will tomorrow notify the unions with the
position of the supervisory board. Management member Drago Barisic
said the strike could be discontinued if another salary were paid
over the next few days.
A union commissioner did not want to comment on the position of the
supervisory board before talking to the management.
(hina) ha jn