NAMA WORKERS HOLD SIT-IN IN ECONOMY MINISTRY OFFICES

ZAGREB, June 7 (Hina) - About 30 workers of NAMA - a big chain of shops - held a sit-in in the building of Economy Ministry overnight. They protested against Tuesday's decision of NAMA supervisory board to refuse a plan for rehabilitation and to initiate a bankruptcy procedure with restructuring. The protest continued on Wednesday morning and at 09.30 am the head of the protesters, Mario Ivekovic, who is a local leader of the Croatian Federation of Unions (HUS), HUS President Zdenko Mucnjak and the leader of the NAMA shop assistants' union, Dragica Petrinjak started negotiations with officials of the Economy ministry. Protesters insist on a letter of the Croatian Government giving assurances that it will accept the rehabilitation programme for NAMA or ensure the payment of four back salaries and the lay-off pay for 1,900 employees with this chain of stores. The NAMA workers entered the building of the Economy Ministry at about noon Tuesday while the supervisory board was discussing the rehabilitation plan drafted by the company's management. The supervisory board drew a conclusion that there were no guarantees that the programme could successfully be implemented and proposed the bankruptcy with re-organisation of the company. Unionists, however, say Premier Ivica Racan has promised not to allow NAMA's bankruptcy and that Economy Minister Goranko Fizulic has said that it is the stance of the Government as well. Unionist Ivekovic believes that a decision on bankruptcy was made prior to yesterday's session of the supervisory board and that it is a Deputy Prime Minister Slavko Linic who advocated such step. (hina) mm ms