CREDITORS & GOVT BACK STORE CHAIN GIANT EMPLOYEES' DEMANDS - JURIC

ZAGREB, Feb 15 (Hina) - All creditors of store chain "Diona" and the Croatian government will back the demand of "Diona" employees relating to the company's survival and resolution of the ownership issue. The government will also support the employees' demand to have Miroslav Kutle no longer own "Diona", the president of the Federation of Independent Unions of Croatia (SSSH), Davor Juric, told "Diona" employees on Monday after talks with Premier Zlatko Matesa. Juric and three other trade union representatives' talks with Matesa tackled the demands of "Diona" employees and small share- holders. Juric told the employees that all "Diona" creditors, which include banks and suppliers, would convene at the Trade Court in Zagreb on Wednesday. Following Juric's address, some 2,000 "Diona" employees, who staged a protest on Monday, dispersed peacefully. Juric confirmed police commander Ivan Stanko's earlier report that one policeman was seriously hurt in the breaking of a police blockade during the protest. The SSSH president said a union delegation would visit the hurt policeman, while Stanko announced charges against the organisers of the rally. During the union representatives' talks with Premier Matesa, the protesters loudly claimed in front of the government building that Kutle and the ruling Croatian Democratic Union were responsible for "Diona's" crash. The protesters also harshly criticised Bozo Prka, head of administration of Privredna Banka Zagreb, and Croatian National Bank governor Marko Skreb, who arrived for negotiations with the union delegation during the protest. (hina) ha jn