ZAGREB, March 30 (Hina) - Hina's editorial staff and journalists on Thursday rejected a motion by the agency's management to dismiss part-time workers as the chief measure of saving, which was intended to pull the agency out of
financial straits. The editorial staff and journalists also urged the government and parliament to at once join in finding a solution to Hina's functioning.
ZAGREB, March 30 (Hina) - Hina's editorial staff and journalists on
Thursday rejected a motion by the agency's management to dismiss
part-time workers as the chief measure of saving, which was
intended to pull the agency out of financial straits.
The editorial staff and journalists also urged the government and
parliament to at once join in finding a solution to Hina's
functioning.#L#
The branch of the Croatian Journalists' Association and Hina's
journalists' union on Thursday convened for a meeting, called in
the wake of the agency management's motion to reduce planned
expenses for this year.
The conclusion was that letters of dismissals to part-time workers
would jeopardise the basic activity of Hina as the national news
agency, and bring into question the extent of day-to-day business.
Hina needs new saving measures because it has been granted 17
percent less funds from this year's state budget, and also because
it is faced with major problems in collecting money for its services
and a 6.5 million kuna outstanding debt from last year.
Besides dismissing part-time workers, the agency's management has
suggested the cancellation of foreign correspondent bureaux, since
the budget does not envisage funds for their financing.
All participants in today's meeting agreed it is necessary to
rationalise Hina's business, but only after the agency's past
expenses have been analysed. In planning saving, letters of
dismissals should come last, only when all alternate possibilities
have been used, they concluded.
Hina's workers are calling on the government and parliament to as
soon as possible settle the issue of the agency's management, since
the manager last year tendered in his resignation, while the
editor-in-chief made his mandate available after January's
parliamentary elections.
The agency's workers believe the present management should not make
strategic decisions which will make a lasting impact on the
agency's professional and market status and its future
development.
(hina) ha jn