NAMA UNIONISTS DISCONTINUE HUNGER STRIKE

ZAGREB, May 10 (Hina) - The strike committee of NAMA is satisfied with results of Friday's negotiations on the future of this chain of department stores, held at the Economy Ministry, the leader of the committee, Dragica Petrinjak, told a news conference on Monday. In this way, conditions were met for the discontinuation of the hunger strike on which the nine-member committee had gone on 27 April. They staged their action in front of the main offices of the Privredna Bank Zagreb (PBZ) which they hold responsible for NAMA's business difficulties. It was agreed at the meeting of Privatisation Investment Funds (PIFs), Expandia and Velebit, the PBZ board of directors, government officials and unionists that PIFs, which are majority owners of the company, should find buyers within ten days. A notice of the PBZ that it will sell 10 NAMA stores on which it holds a lien has been cancelled. The Government approved 80 million kuna as an assistance for the purchase of goods and ten million for the payment of the two monthly salaries which workers had not yet received. The strike committee will supervise the implementation of what has been agreed. In case that the deal is breached, PBZ branches will be blocked, Petrinjak warned adding that they would do so with the support of Homeland War Veterans. (hina) ms