ZAGREB, April 28 (Hina) - Should the implementation of a plan on the financial rehabilitation of the largest Croatian newspaper distributor "Tisak" not begin according to schedule, on April 29, the "Tisak" workers' union will resume
the strike. The decision on the possible continuation of the strike, which was suspended on April 23, will be made by 6 pm on Thursday, said Sjepan Kolaric on behalf of the union. According to the plan of financial rehabilitation, by 6 pm on April 29, a consortium of Croatian banks should pay "Tisak" four million US dollars, the "Tisak" account should be deblocked, salaries should be paid to the employees, and "Tisak" news-stands should start selling tobacco products, said Mario Ivekovic, a representative of the Association of Independent Trade Unions of Croatia, a member of which is the "Tisak" union. Otherwise, "not even police will be able to stop" "Tisa
ZAGREB, April 28 (Hina) - Should the implementation of a plan on the
financial rehabilitation of the largest Croatian newspaper
distributor "Tisak" not begin according to schedule, on April 29,
the "Tisak" workers' union will resume the strike.
The decision on the possible continuation of the strike, which was
suspended on April 23, will be made by 6 pm on Thursday, said Sjepan
Kolaric on behalf of the union.
According to the plan of financial rehabilitation, by 6 pm on April
29, a consortium of Croatian banks should pay "Tisak" four million
US dollars, the "Tisak" account should be deblocked, salaries
should be paid to the employees, and "Tisak" news-stands should
start selling tobacco products, said Mario Ivekovic, a
representative of the Association of Independent Trade Unions of
Croatia, a member of which is the "Tisak" union. Otherwise, "not
even police will be able to stop" "Tisak" workers, Ivekovic said.
The workers started their strike on April 21, because a plan of the
company's rehabilitation, adopted by the Government on April 1, was
not being implemented. All 2,500 "Tisak" news-stands were closed
and the workers blocked the Croatian Printers, which prints most of
Croatian papers.
During the two-day strike, four dailies were not printed at all
while other papers were not distributed. The "Tisak" company had
earlier jeopardised the publishing of papers due to its debts to the
publishers.
The Government reached an agreement with five Croatian banks on
April 23, which made the banks owners of "Tisak". This move was
followed by the suspension of the strike until April 29.
The continuation of the strike would cause huge damage to the
publishers, against whom the strike is not directed, Kolaric said.
Union representatives believe that former members of the company's
management and supervisory board are responsible for the problems
in "Tisak".
Kolaric also said that Premier Zlato Matesa and a former
Privatisation Minister Ivan Penic were also responsible for the
situation in the company, because they "allowed the Globus Grupa
and Miroslav Kutle to take over 'Tisak'".
(hina) jn rml