PRESIDENT MESIC RECEIVES UNIONISTS

ZAGREB, April 4 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic on Tuesday received the head of Istrian workers' union, Bruno Bulic, and the head of the Association of Workers' Unions of Croatia (URSH) Boris Kunst, the President's Office reported. Bulic informed Mesic of the grave situation in Istria in the wake of the appointment of the temporary trustee in the Istarska bank. He pointed to the fact that about 80 percent of financial operations in this biggest Croatian peninsula had been done via the Istarska bank and 80 percent of retirees received their pensions on accounts opened with that bank. Recent developments have brought their existence and the existence of workers and farmers into question, Bulic said and cautioned that this caused additional political problems in Istria. President Mesic agreed that it was necessary to take urgent measures to help this region. Kunst notified Mesic of problems in the agricultural factory "Belje" in eastern Croatia. Workers have not received salaries for five months and this jeopardised the standard of some 7000 families. Employees with "Belje" insist on the payment of at least two salaries immediately, or they will be forced to stage a protest rally in front of the Government's offices in Zagreb. Those workers also maintain that the Government has not taken all possible measures to help them and employees oppose proposals for bankruptcy procedures as this will affect the entire region. (hina) ms