ZAGREB, July 21 (Hina) - The statement made by Boris Kunst, president of the Association of Workers' Trade Unions of Croatia (URSH), after Thursday's meeting between union leaders and President Stipe Mesic, that workers would stage
protest rallies this autumn, demanding the replacement of the government due to its inefficiency, is contrary to the stands and conclusions on the mutual ensuring of social truce, adopted at sessions of the Economic and Social Council, and agreed on with all union members sitting on the Council, including the URSH, the Government said in a statement on Friday. Kunst's statement that the Prime Minister "has not found the time to meet union officials" is not true, because in the first seven months of this year alone, the Economic and Social Council held as many as nine sessions, respecting social dialogue and the stands of both the Croatian Employers' Association and union
ZAGREB, July 21 (Hina) - The statement made by Boris Kunst,
president of the Association of Workers' Trade Unions of Croatia
(URSH), after Thursday's meeting between union leaders and
President Stipe Mesic, that workers would stage protest rallies
this autumn, demanding the replacement of the government due to its
inefficiency, is contrary to the stands and conclusions on the
mutual ensuring of social truce, adopted at sessions of the
Economic and Social Council, and agreed on with all union members
sitting on the Council, including the URSH, the Government said in a
statement on Friday.
Kunst's statement that the Prime Minister "has not found the time to
meet union officials" is not true, because in the first seven months
of this year alone, the Economic and Social Council held as many as
nine sessions, respecting social dialogue and the stands of both
the Croatian Employers' Association and union federations.
In the first six months of this year, the Prime Minister held two
separate meetings with all union leaders, which were also attended
by Mr Kunst. Also, the Prime Minister met four times with
representatives of some union associations, read the government
statement.
The Croatian Government, acting on the request of unions, has
launched numerous negotiations - from those on the draft budget for
2000, social truce, income policy for this year, unemployment and
the National Employment Programme, draft changes to laws regarding
bankruptcy proceedings and tax regulations, to the drawing up of a
concept of economic development for every branch, prevention of
black labour and the relieving of the tax burden for labour costs.
Members of the Social and Economic Council have described the
government's package of measures as positive, adding it would help
revive the economy, stimulate production and employment, stabilise
the inflow of budgetary revenues and enable the regular payment of
pensions, said the statement, signed by the Government's
spokeswoman Aleksandra Kolaric.
(hina) mm rml