SEVER DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM SOME CONCLUSIONS OF UNIONISTS' MEETING

ZAGREB, Dec 28 (Hina) - The Independent Croatian Unions leader, Kresimir Sever, on Thursday evening distanced himself from a part of conclusions which were adopted on the behalf of four union federations by Boris Kunst, the head of Association of Workers Unions of Croatia (URSH), Dalimir Kuba, the head of the Federation of Public Servants' Unions, and Zdenko Mucnjak, the head of the Croatian Association of Unions (HUS) earlier in the day. The four federations of trade unions on Thursday asked the Government to hold a meeting with them within ten days so that the Government's stand on the social dialogue, which these unionists described as unacceptable, could be discussed, or they would organise protest actions. Leaders of these federations did not call representatives of another strong federation - SSSH (the Federation of Independent Unions of Croatia) - as they maintained that the Government had opted for the SSSH as the only social partner while intentionally belittled the importance of those four associations. "Preferring only one federation, which openly says whom it belongs, the Government is trying to fragment the union scenes," Kunst said after today's meeting. Th four federations are willing to warn the Government one more time about its obligation to treat equally all unions, and if the Government turns a deaf ear to our request, we shall ask President Stjepan Mesic to receive us and be informed of our problems, Kunst, Kuba and Mucnjak said. Sever could not attend today's meeting owing to his busy schedule but he agreed with some conclusions on the phone. Later in the day, Sever, however, said he agreed that "the social dialogue in Croatia is at a very low level and that the Government avoids the four federations and holds the direct dialogue only with the SSSH." After learning of all the conclusions from today's meeting, Sever told Hina that his federation did not plan at all to go to the President of the Republic and complain to him about all of this, nor did it want to ask the government to talk with other unions only because it was talking with the SSSH. We are expecting from the Government to recognise the necessity of conducting dialogue with all union federations, he added. (hina) ms