ZAGREB, June 14 (Hina) - Croatian metal workers have never been faced with a more difficult problem because the situation in metal production and processing is disastrous, the president of the Croatian Metal Workers' Union (SMH),
Ivica Jakopcevic, told reporters on Wednesday. A wave of bankruptcy cases is hitting metal companies and metal workers feel a complete lack of prospects, Jakopcevic said. He said the number of metal workers fell by as many as 120,000 workers over the past ten years and Croatia's metal industry today has only 66,000 workers. At the beginning of 2000, the metal industry was hit by a 'bankruptcy plague', resulting in announced bankruptcy proceedings in 13 companies which employ 2,713 workers. Bankruptcy proceedings in 25 companies, employing 3,535 workers, are underway. A total of 9,490 workers in 58 companies are not receiving their salaries regularly, Jakopcevic said. According to
ZAGREB, June 14 (Hina) - Croatian metal workers have never been
faced with a more difficult problem because the situation in metal
production and processing is disastrous, the president of the
Croatian Metal Workers' Union (SMH), Ivica Jakopcevic, told
reporters on Wednesday.
A wave of bankruptcy cases is hitting metal companies and metal
workers feel a complete lack of prospects, Jakopcevic said.
He said the number of metal workers fell by as many as 120,000
workers over the past ten years and Croatia's metal industry today
has only 66,000 workers. At the beginning of 2000, the metal
industry was hit by a 'bankruptcy plague', resulting in announced
bankruptcy proceedings in 13 companies which employ 2,713 workers.
Bankruptcy proceedings in 25 companies, employing 3,535 workers,
are underway. A total of 9,490 workers in 58 companies are not
receiving their salaries regularly, Jakopcevic said.
According to the union leader, metal workers do not enjoy the
understanding of the government and competent ministries,
primarily the Economy Ministry, which lacks a clear programme of
recovery and development of the metal sector and is ignoring
rehabilitation programmes drawn up by the managements of some metal
companies.
The union also objects that the government has still not forwarded
into parliamentary procedure changes to the Labour Law and the Law
on Bankruptcy. The latter one enables the completion of the major
plundering of metal companies, Jakopcevic believes.
The union will consider whether it will withdraw its signature from
a pre-electoral agreement on a just Croatia considering that very
little from the agreement has been implemented.
It also warns the government about the possibility of spontaneous
social unrest in metal companies, where workers would establish
headquarters for the protection of their companies.
(hina) jn rml