ZAGREB ZAGREB, April 15 (Hina) - The independent trade in the timber and wood industry (SPDIH), held a protest rally in Zagreb to warn about problems in Croatian timber processing and woodworking plants. About 800 workers from firms
in Pakrac, Rijeka and Sirac, their families, and workers of other companies, staged the rally at the Square of French Revolution. The leader of the SPDIH union, Franjo Janes, said the timber industry in Croatia had become totally impoverished, and warned of indicators according to which this industry may disappear from the Croatian economy. According to him, it would be impermissible, since the timber and wood industry employs more than two percent of the Croatian population, whereas one worker in this field creates jobs for another two workers in supporting industries. Janes told the protesters that the bad situation in this industry had been caused by unsettled rela
ZAGREB, April 15 (Hina) - The independent trade in the timber and
wood industry (SPDIH), held a protest rally in Zagreb to warn about
problems in Croatian timber processing and woodworking plants.
About 800 workers from firms in Pakrac, Rijeka and Sirac, their
families, and workers of other companies, staged the rally at the
Square of French Revolution.
The leader of the SPDIH union, Franjo Janes, said the timber
industry in Croatia had become totally impoverished, and warned of
indicators according to which this industry may disappear from the
Croatian economy.
According to him, it would be impermissible, since the timber and
wood industry employs more than two percent of the Croatian
population, whereas one worker in this field creates jobs for
another two workers in supporting industries.
Janes told the protesters that the bad situation in this industry
had been caused by unsettled relations between producers and the
Croatian Forests (Hrvatske Sume) company for many years, by high
initial costs of the production and the wrong macroeconomic policy
of the Croatian Government.
The market of Croatian failing companies have been taken over by
Italian firms which are processing Croatian raw materials and
selling the produced furniture to Croatia. In this way, the timber
industry has been reduced to the export of logs and the import of
ready-made products, Janes complained.
The protesters asked the Government to cut export costs by 15 to 20
per cent, reduce prices of power supplies, gas and water. They
demanded that the Ministry of Reconstruction and Development
should regularly pay their services and stop paying them with
shares of failed firms. They also insisted on the protection of
domestic produce, the control of import and the reduction in the
export of raw materials.
Trade unionists of the firms from Rijeka, Pakrac and Sirac warned
how their salaries were coming very late, and how contributions on
their salaries were not paid by their companies. They also
complained about layoffs.
The SPDIH trade union planned to stage the rally in the Mark's
square (near buildings of the Government and Sabor), but the police
did not give a permission for that.
Franjo Janes announced that this afternoon Croatian Premier Zlatko
Matesa would receive a delegation of unionists to discuss solutions
to their problems.
(hina) ms