METAL WORKERS UNION DEMANDS URGENT MEETING WITH CRO GOVERNMENT

ZAGREB, Jan 12 (Hina) - The Croatian Metal Workers' Union (SMH) demanded urgent talks with representatives of the Croatian Government regarding the fate of employees of metal companies, which, according to the SMH were in a hopeless situation. If the talks fail to yield results, the Union members will prevent the companies' directors and members of board to enter the premises if those officials continue to dismiss employees without the approval of the Union or employment council, the SMH told a press conference on Tuesday. The Union forwarded a list of metal manufacturing companies which, due to the serious situation, were dismissing employees, to the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, president of the SMH Ivica Jakopcevic told reporters. The Union will prevent directors from entering publicly or privately owned companies, the SMH vice-president Ivo Marjanovic said. If a company was publicly owned, the state was to take responsibility for dismissed employers, Marjanovic added. If it was a privately owned company, the Privatisation Ministry and the Croatian Privatisation Fund should state their stance about sales contracts, which, according to Marjanovic, were not being respected by new owners. The contracts obligate owners to develop manufacturing programmes and keep the current number of employers, Marjanovic concluded. (hina) it/lml