PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS' UNIONS ANNOUNCE STRIKE OF WARNING

ZAGREB, Nov 2 (Hina) - Public sector workers' unions on Thursday announced they would stage a strike of warning late this month because the government was violating the collective agreement on the adjustment of wages in public and state services with those in state-owned companies. Seven public and civil service unions on Tuesday discontinued negotiations on wages, accusing the government of trying to dodge harmonising their salaries with the salaries in public and state- owned companies, which would mean a 9.8 percent increase for November. Government representatives rejected the union request describing it as an across-the-board plan, and suggested a meeting of an expert group which should establish whether and how much salaries in the public sector should rise. The unions will soon conduct a referendum about the strike of warning among its members and ask the Economic and Social Council to hold an extraordinary session since the continuation of the social dialogue and negotiations about a social agreement are jeopardised, the president of the Coordination of Croatian Public Service Workers' Unions, Vilim Ribic, told a news conference. The Council, which includes representatives of the government, unions and employers, should define the text of an agreement on social truce for the next three years, which the government believes is the time Croatia needs to overcome the current crisis. (hina) jn rml