ZAGREB, July 6 (Hina) - Croatia's Premier Ivica Racan and Deputy Premier Zeljka Antunovic on Thursday received a delegation of Croatian reporters' union (SNH), to discuss problems in the media whose owner or co-owner is the
Government. The Union asked the Government to appoint persons in charge of solving problems of each newspaper, TV or radio house and agency separately as their difficulties are different. The Union also demanded that the Government choose its representative for launching negotiations on a national collective agreement on the media. In case the Government fails to respond to their requests within one week, the SNH will conduct a poll among its members about possible strike action and the strike will last at least 48 hours. Premier Racan assessed that problems in some media would certainly be settled but not so soon, although all would like their immediate settlement. Old debts
ZAGREB, July 6 (Hina) - Croatia's Premier Ivica Racan and Deputy
Premier Zeljka Antunovic on Thursday received a delegation of
Croatian reporters' union (SNH), to discuss problems in the media
whose owner or co-owner is the Government.
The Union asked the Government to appoint persons in charge of
solving problems of each newspaper, TV or radio house and agency
separately as their difficulties are different.
The Union also demanded that the Government choose its
representative for launching negotiations on a national collective
agreement on the media.
In case the Government fails to respond to their requests within one
week, the SNH will conduct a poll among its members about possible
strike action and the strike will last at least 48 hours.
Premier Racan assessed that problems in some media would certainly
be settled but not so soon, although all would like their immediate
settlement.
Old debts should now be settled and many want that we act as if we are
a revolutionary government. We, however, will resign rather than
behave like a revolutionary Government, Racan told unionists.
Commenting on concrete problems, Racan advocated the urgent
bankruptcy procedure with re-organisation for the Split-based
daily "Slobodna Dalmacija", as a programme of rehabilitation had no
prospects.
In relation to the privatisation of the "Vjesnik", PM said, a new
idea has occurred which should be elaborated and it is about the
inclusion of domestic capital and connecting Vjesnik with "Tisak"
and "Hrvatska Tiskara".
As regards the national agency "Hina", Racan announced that staff
problems would be soon solved and promised that an acting director
would urgently be appointed.
The restructuring of the Croatian Television (HTV) should be
carried out by its management rather than the Government and a co-
ordinating body would be set up for the HTV to take care about the
redundancies, the Premier said.
Zeljka Antunovic promised that the Government would consider and
give its opinion on aforementioned problems within the time term
set by the Union.
(hina) jn ms