GOVT: WE WILL NOT TOLERATE EXCESSIVE UNION DEMANDS

ZAGREB, Dec 8 (Hina) - Commenting on Friday's day-long strike of warning, the government said in a statement it would not accept unreasonable demands of unions of public and state services, which announced permanent strikes if their demands were not met, starting on December 14. The unions request an 8.5 percent increase of their basic wages and the payment of Christmas and child bonuses. The Government respects obligations from the collective agreement on the harmonisation of wages of civil and public servants and those of employees in state and public companies and it will pay differences in wages for October, November and December, the statement reads. However, the union request that wages be increased next year is not realistic because an additional 1.2 billion kuna would have to be secured from the budget for that purpose, a burden which would have to be shouldered by numerous Croatian citizens which live far more modestly than employees in public and state services, the government said. As regards today's strike, the Government did not use its legal right to reduce wages depending on the duration of participation in the strike. However, the unions which warn about the possibility of a permanent strike must be aware that the Government will use its legal right in that case, read the statement. (hina) rml