HPT WORKERS DEMAND FROM GOVT NOT TO ACCEPT TELIA-TELENOR BID

ZAGREB, Sept 28 (Hina) - The National Union of Croatian Post and Telecommunications (HPT) Workers and an association of workers claiming the right to HPT shares on Tuesday requested the Government not to accept the bid by the consortium Telia-Telenor of 611 million dollars for 35 per cent of Croatian Telecommunications (HT) shares, because the price is too low. The union warns that now is not the time to sell HT shares because a dozen telecommunication systems from countries in transition are being offered on the European market, of which the best one is the Russian telecommunications company, union president Jadranko Vehar told reporters today. Although the privatisation of the HT has been initiated so that the Government could get hold of money for the budget, the union believes one should not seek the resignation of Finance Minister Borislav Skegro. "We agree with Skegro's insistence on the transparency of the selling procedure, because the Government, if it cares about the national interest, will not sell HT shares at such an extremely low price", said Vehar. The association of former Croatian Post (HP) and Croatian Telecommunications (HT) workers claiming the right to HPT shares, which consists of more than 14,000 former and current HP and HT employees, wants standards for the participation of workers in the privatisation process to be determined as soon as possible, said Vlasta Mesaric, the association's secretary. The association demands that every current and former employee be allowed to buy shares with a 20 per cent discount, with an additional discount of two per cent per one year of service. The maximum amount would be DM20,000, for ten years without interest, it was said at the conference. The Croatian Telecommunications Union also on Monday urged the Government to turn down the Telia-Telenor bid. (hina) rml