GUIDEBOOK ON WORLD BANK FOR PUBLIC SECTOR WORKERS PRESENTED

ZAGREB, July 1 (Hina) - The International Public Services (PSI), an association gathering more than 500 public sector unions from 140 countries, on Thursday presented a guidebook on the World Bank for Croatian trade unions. The booklet explains the role, organisation and activities of the World Bank, as well as the basic guidelines of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), PSI deputy main secretary Alan Leather said. Leather said the booklet should help Croatian unions to more effectively oppose the demands of the World Bank and the IMF on the reduction of expenses and salaries in the public sector. The PSI is worried that the Croatian Government might give in to demands of the World Bank and the IMF and cut salaries in the public sector, which would have unfavourable effects on workers in the whole country, especially those in the health sector and education, Leather added. The US Centre for International Labour Solidarity will organise courses on these topics for union commissioners from the public sector and the first courses will be organised in September, said Rudy Porter, head of the Centre's office in Croatia. Porter warned that the World Bank had a thoroughly worked-out strategy of help to every country with which is has relations. Croatian unions should not only inform themselves about the strategy but request from the Government that they be included in the drawing up of a similar strategy, he added. (hina) rml