CRO PENSIONERS' UNION AND OPPOSITION FOUR SING SOCIAL AGREEMENT

ZAGREB, Dec 15 (Hina) - The Croatian Pensioners Trade Union (SUH) and the "Croatian Pensioner" society on Wednesday signed a social agreement with the Opposition Four Coalition (HSS, LS, IDS and HNS parties). This document is about exercising of the rights which retirees have already acquired, and it presents an annex to the contract on a fair Croatia. This contract was already signed by the Opposition Four and the Federation of the Independent Trade Unions (SSSH). Under the agreement, these four opposition parties pledged to adopt, within six months as of the constitution of the new House of Representatives, a decision on the enforcement of the 12 May 1998 Constitutional Court's ruling on removing differences between pensions and salaries and return of debt caused by allotting smaller pensions in line with the 1993 government decree. The contract stipulates the separation of the social care from the pension insurance, improvement of health protection as well as that the Pension Institute would be equally managed by insured parties and employers. Ivan Nahtigal, who signed the document on behalf of the SUH, said during almost eight years of the struggle for retirees' rights this trade union managed only to get the Constitutional Court's ruling which the Government first attacked and then shunned by a series of measures. In this way illusions deceased of pensioners that they can achieve anything with this government, and that's why the Pensioners' Trade Union turned their hopes toward the opposition, Nahtigal added. Ivan Maricic who signed the agreement on behalf of the "Croatian Pensioner" society, asked the opposition to realise, if they rise to power, that retirees are their partners who do not seek alms but only their rights. Radimir Cacic of the Croatian People's Party (HNS) assessed that constitutional norms of Croatia as a social state were grievously breached on pensioners' issues. Stjepan Radic of the Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS) added his party was fighting for a law-based state and therefore for the compliance with decisions of the Constitutional Court. Supporting retirees' demands, Bozo Kovacevic of the Liberal Party (LS) said their fulfilment was directly connected with the resolution of economic problems and the united opposition had chances to settle them. The Istrian Democratic Alliance (IDS) was a protector of human rights, and rights of pensioners have been endangered in recent years, added an IDS member, Dorotea Pesic-Bukovac . (hina) ms