CRO UNION FEDERATION ON ELECTIONS, SPLIT SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY

ZAGREB, Dec 17 (Hina) - The Croatian Federation of Unions (HUS) will recommend to its members to participate in the elections in large numbers and vote for parties and coalitions whose programmes include the principles of social security and justice, HUS president Zdenko Mucnjak told reporters on Friday. Mucnjak recalled that the HUS had started its pre-election activities back in July when it offered all unions to make a joint independent union list. However, since the proposal was not accepted, in November the HUS sent to parliamentary and non- parliamentary parties a pre-election message asking them to state their economic and political principles. The message was responded to by the Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU), Croatian Party of Rights (HSP), Croatian Pure Party of Rights (HCSP), Croatian Christian Democratic Party (HKDS) and the Croatian Republican Union (HRZ). The names of those five parties will appear on the election leaflet the HUS will send to its members, Mucnjak said. Commenting on the failure of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the Opposition Six to respond to the message, Mucnjak said unions would continue to have problems in the social dialogue with the future government as well. A member of the HUS Executive Committee, Maja Rilovic, reported about an opinion poll showing that 86 per cent of workers would go to the polls in the upcoming elections. Joso Maras, vice-president of the Independent Union of the Split shipbuilding industry 'Brodogradiliste', whose workers have been on strike since yesterday, informed about the difficult situation in the company. If 'Brodogradiliste' employees do not receive their salaries by Tuesday, the HUS will urge its members in Split and Split County to stage protest rallies, Mucnjak said. (hina) rml