UNION ANNOUNCED STRIKE TO STOP PRIVATISATION OF HT

ZAGREB, May 18 (Hina) - Croatian Union of Post and telecommunications (HSPT) will organise one-hour strikes from May 24 to 27, and on Friday, May 28, a one-day general strike, demanding a stop to the privatisation of Croatian Telecommunications (HT). The union is asking the bill on the privatisation of HT to be proceeded to the Parliament for discussion instead of being forwarded into urgent procedure. During the strike the HSPT will cease all post and telecommunications activities, except the necessary activities which are to be determined by the Transport and Communications Minister, Zeljko Luzavec. This means that during the strike, due to lowered capacity, access to telephone lines and the Internet will be made difficult, while most post offices will be closed, HSPT secretary Josip Pupic said. "We will give up on the strike only if the Government withdraws its bill on the privatisation of the HT from urgent procedure," Pupic said. Pupic reiterated now was the worst moment for the privatisation of the HT, because Croatia cannot reach an optimal price due to the war in the neighbourhood. The bill on the privatisation of the HT is violating provisions of an annex to the agreement between the Government and the Alliance of Independent Unions of Croatia (SSSH) which determine conditions for the privatisation of public companies, SSSH president Davor Juric said. The annex clearly stipulates that funds received for the sale of public companies must primarily be generated toward the modernisation of the companies and stimulation of employment, of which there is no word in the case of HT. Instead, the lower house parliament party bench representatives of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) said the funds would cover the deficit in pension and health insurance funds, and ensure investment by clients of banks which are bankrupt, Juric said. (hina) lml jn