SSSH DISSATISFIED WITH IMPLEMENTATION OF REHABILITATION OF COMPANIES

ZAGREB, Aug 11 (Hina) - The Association of Independent Trade Unions of Croatia (SSSH) is dissatisfied with the Government's conduct of rehabilitation of companies and insists on a speedier action in this regard, said SSSH Secretary General Vitomir Begovic at a news conference on Wednesday.#L# If about 150 Government's decrees on the recovery of firms are not soon carried out in a serious manner, SSSH does not rule out a possibility of mass and long protests of workers, Begovic added. He announced also that protesters may head toward the Croatian President's office, reiterating that they have already asked several times to be received by President Franjo Tudjman. According to this unionist, the greatest responsibility for bad implementation of the Government's decisions lies with the Croatian Bank For Reconstruction and Development, the Croatian Privatisation Fund and responsible ministries. He called on the above mentioned institutions to review the work of management of crisis-hit companies, particularly of those where the state is a major owner, in line with the Government's decision of late last year. Begovic described the current economic and social situation in Croatia as chaotic, dramatic and unpromising. According to SSSH data, over 178,000 employees do not receive salaries regularly, 63 percent of workers gets a salary lower than the Croatian average wage and just 3.4 percent of employees can have normal life with their salaries. That's why this association of labour unions asks for the cooperation between all social partners and respect for opinion of independent economic experts in order to draw up a strategy for overcoming this crisis. This will be the chief proposal to be suggested by the SSSH at the forthcoming session of the Economic and Social Council (GSV). In case that SSSH proposal is not to be accepted, the Union can discontinue the social peace after the session, Begovic told reporters. (hina) ms