ZAGREB, Apr 23 (Hina) - Talks focusing on finding a solution to the problem of Croatia's largest press distributor, Tisak, whose employees went on strike on Wednesday, began at the Croatian government building on Friday. Tisak
employees closed all of their 2,500 news-stands, and blocked with trucks printer Hrvatska Tiskara, which prints several daily papers. Due to the inability of being distributed and sold, four of Croatia's highest circulation daily papers were not printed, while others could not be purchased in most of the country. The distributor's employees have not yielded in their demands to have a government-adopted programme for the financial restructuring of Tisak implemented. According to the programme, a consortium of six banks, Tisak's biggest creditors, should take over a majority package of the company's shares, and secure US$5 million to enable it to resume operating
ZAGREB, Apr 23 (Hina) - Talks focusing on finding a solution to the
problem of Croatia's largest press distributor, Tisak, whose
employees went on strike on Wednesday, began at the Croatian
government building on Friday.
Tisak employees closed all of their 2,500 news-stands, and blocked
with trucks printer Hrvatska Tiskara, which prints several daily
papers. Due to the inability of being distributed and sold, four of
Croatia's highest circulation daily papers were not printed, while
others could not be purchased in most of the country.
The distributor's employees have not yielded in their demands to
have a government-adopted programme for the financial
restructuring of Tisak implemented. According to the programme, a
consortium of six banks, Tisak's biggest creditors, should take
over a majority package of the company's shares, and secure US$5
million to enable it to resume operating.
Representatives of four banks in the consortium, Hrvatska
Postanska Banka, Privredna Banka Zagreb, Istarska Banka, and
Splitska Banka, arrived at the talks with Premier Zlatko Matesa.
The reasons why representatives of Dalmatinska Banka and
Dubrovacka Banka did not show up are unknown.
The deputy head of the government's media and public relations
office, Igor Mrduljas, told reporters the talks would end in the
afternoon. Premier Matesa will make a statement.
A representative of one of the banks participating in the talks said
a solution for Tisak was on the way.
A spokesman for the distributor's strikers' committee, Stjepan
Kolaric, said they "will not be satisfied with partial (government)
solutions."
Vecernji List director Branko Lovric said publishers today decided
they would resume printing and distributing the press, even though
it is still not certain whether they will reach the readers.
Earlier today, Vecernji List, the highest circulation daily,
appealed to Tisak employees to discontinue the strike, which they
said endangered the paper's staff.
According to press publishers' estimates, Tisak owes them US$15.7
million, which makes the publishers in turn debitors to their
printers.
(hina) ha jn