ZAGREB, Nov 20 (Hina) - The Croatian Mine Action Centre (HCR) has agreed, with the consent of Prime Minister Ivica Racan, with the majority of mine removal experts' requests, HCR Council president Drazen Budisa said after talks with a
delegation of some 150 mine removal experts, who gathered in front of the government building in Zagreb on Monday morning, demanding the improvement of their status. The protesters dispersed peacefully after the completion of the talks. "It is realistic to expect that in the next two to three months we will solve the main problems and improve the status of this exceptionally demanding occupation," Budisa said after one-hour talks with representatives of the Union of Mine Removal Experts, who organised today's rally. The HCR, as a government institution, supports the union's request that the new law on mine removal and other measures urgently improve the status of mine remo
ZAGREB, Nov 20 (Hina) - The Croatian Mine Action Centre (HCR) has
agreed, with the consent of Prime Minister Ivica Racan, with the
majority of mine removal experts' requests, HCR Council president
Drazen Budisa said after talks with a delegation of some 150 mine
removal experts, who gathered in front of the government building
in Zagreb on Monday morning, demanding the improvement of their
status. The protesters dispersed peacefully after the completion
of the talks.
"It is realistic to expect that in the next two to three months we
will solve the main problems and improve the status of this
exceptionally demanding occupation," Budisa said after one-hour
talks with representatives of the Union of Mine Removal Experts,
who organised today's rally.
The HCR, as a government institution, supports the union's request
that the new law on mine removal and other measures urgently improve
the status of mine removal experts and that mine removal be declared
an activity of special state interest and be exempt from VAT, Budisa
said.
Also, the HCR will try to resolve the problem of mine removal
experts who lose their medical licence.
The new law on mine removal could be adopted by April next year and
sent into parliamentary procedure as early as next month, Budisa
said.
"We support the request that the new law include a regulation on a
double early retirement plan, but we could not agree to the request
that their years of service last ten years because that should first
be confirmed by experts," Budisa said.
As it is not competent to discuss that issue, the HCR also could not
present its view on the request regarding the occupational diseases
of mine removal experts but proposed instead that a doctors'
commission and mine removal centres in other countries be
consulted.
The two sides agreed on the need to urgently interpret the existing
law on mine removal for the sake of respecting the regulations which
give mine removal experts and Homeland War soldiers the same
rights.
Regarding the request that the salaries of mine removal experts
amount to three average salaries, Budisa said the HCR was not
authorised to increase their salaries. The average net salary of a
mine removal expert plus supplements amounts to between 8,500 and
9,000 kuna, which is close to the amount of three average salaries,
Budisa said.
The HCR could not agree with the request that market competition not
apply to mine removal and that mine removal experts be paid from the
state budget. "Market competition in the process of mine removal is
one of our obligations toward foreign mine removal financiers in
Croatia," Budisa said.
Union president Antun Vincetic said mine removal experts would be
satisfied if everything that had been agreed on today would be
implemented.
The union will soon start collective negotiations with the Union of
Humanitarian Mine Removal Employers and the first round of talks
will start on November 25.
(hina) rml