RAILWAYS UNION URGES WORLD BANK TO POSTPONE LAY-OFFS

ZAGREB, Oct 23 (Hina) - The Croatian Railways' (HZ) infrastructure trade union on Monday forwarded a letter to the World Bank seeking a 90-day extension of a deadline the bank set for laying off 1,750 HZ employees. The extension of the Nov. 15 deadline has been requested owing to the difficult implementation of a HZ restructuring project. An extended deadline would alleviate tensions between employer and trade union, and leave sufficient time to make better analyse the working process which envisages fewer employees and better care for them, union president Darko Pavicevic told reporters in Zagreb. In the meantime, the competent ministry could ensure sufficient funds for a social programme and projects aimed at providing care for disabled workers and disabled war veterans and workers with limited working ability. Pavicevic also drew attention to harsh breaches of the labour rule book, the work contract and the HZ law on the part of the managing and advisory boards. He in particular criticised Deputy Prime Minister and HZ supervisory board chairman Slavko Linic with whom, he said, "there is no dialogue." (hina) ha jn