ZAGREB, Sept 3 (Hina) - Officials in charge of the privatisation of Croatian telecommunications company Hrvatske Telekomunikacije (HT) on Friday told reporters in Zagreb the strategic investor should be asked to include social clauses
in the purchase contract, to ensure jobs. Josip Pupic, the president of the Croatian Trade Union of Post and Telecommunications Workers (HSPT), suggested the social clause contain a provision which would put a moratorium on the laying off of HT workers, and a guarantee on the strategic investor's part that he will respect the Work Agreement signed by the trade union and the HT management. The HSPT also suggests that upon taking over HT, the strategic investor apply standards of workers' joint decision-making used in the investor's home country. Pupic said his union was satisfied with the preliminary offers for the privatisation of HT submitted by Germany
ZAGREB, Sept 3 (Hina) - Officials in charge of the privatisation of
Croatian telecommunications company Hrvatske Telekomunikacije
(HT) on Friday told reporters in Zagreb the strategic investor
should be asked to include social clauses in the purchase contract,
to ensure jobs.
Josip Pupic, the president of the Croatian Trade Union of Post and
Telecommunications Workers (HSPT), suggested the social clause
contain a provision which would put a moratorium on the laying off
of HT workers, and a guarantee on the strategic investor's part that
he will respect the Work Agreement signed by the trade union and the
HT management.
The HSPT also suggests that upon taking over HT, the strategic
investor apply standards of workers' joint decision-making used in
the investor's home country.
Pupic said his union was satisfied with the preliminary offers for
the privatisation of HT submitted by Germany's Deutsche Telekom and
Scandinavian consortium Telia Telenor, two telecommunications
giants between which the strategic investor will be chosen.
The union's preference leans towards Telia Telenor because of the
"Nordic style of dealing with unions, based on the century-long
rule of social-democracy in those regions," said Pupic. The
Swedish-Norwegian merger furthermore plans a major increase in the
number of fixed telephone connections, which Pupic believes, will
ensure full employment.
The HSPT believes the strategic investor should be sold the minimum
of shares, namely 25 percent plus one share, in the first round, and
next year offers should be made for public purchase to enable
Croatian citizens to make purchases on favourable conditions.
Previous talks mentioned selling 35 percent of shares to the
investor.
(hina) ha jn