ZAGREB, May 14 (Hina) - Croatian pyrotechnists' union on Sunday forwarded an open letter to the Government and the national parliament announcing their intention to discontinue removing mines in the whole of Croatia unless their
treatment is changed. Mine removal experts said they had patiently waited for the expiry of first 100 days since the new government took office and now they had to express their regret at the new authorities' failure to show more sympathy for pyrotechnists' problems. Pyrotechnists insist on being treated like Croatian war veterans. A month ago this union also complained about the failure of both the former and current government to enforce a law on mine clearance and the Sabor's conclusion of 5 June 1998 which stipulate that casualties in the work of removing mines should have the same rights as Croatian Homeland War Veterans. Later on, they went on one-hour warning
ZAGREB, May 14 (Hina) - Croatian pyrotechnists' union on Sunday
forwarded an open letter to the Government and the national
parliament announcing their intention to discontinue removing
mines in the whole of Croatia unless their treatment is changed.
Mine removal experts said they had patiently waited for the expiry
of first 100 days since the new government took office and now they
had to express their regret at the new authorities' failure to show
more sympathy for pyrotechnists' problems.
Pyrotechnists insist on being treated like Croatian war veterans.
A month ago this union also complained about the failure of both the
former and current government to enforce a law on mine clearance and
the Sabor's conclusion of 5 June 1998 which stipulate that
casualties in the work of removing mines should have the same rights
as Croatian Homeland War Veterans. Later on, they went on one-hour
warning strike.
Recalling that warning protest when First Deputy Prime Minister
Goran Granic promised that the Government would meet their demands
within one month, pyrotechnists today raised the question whether
any concrete step had been taken in that direction in the meantime.
Comparing their current treatment to their position in 1996 when
pyrothechnists used to receive similar salaries as members of
parliament, they described the current situation as
"devastating".
"Salaries have been cut, each month we are more and more short-
changed, disabled pyrotechnists are left without fair legal
protection, and our accelerated retirement scheme has been
lessened," read their letter.
(hina) ms