TRADE UNION PROTEST IN ZAGREB ENDS PEACEFULLY

( Editorial: --> 8153 ) ZAGREB, 29 Jan (Hina)- Today's protest rally of about 4,000 activists of the Association of the Independent Unions of Croatia(SSSH) from all over Croatia, dubbed "Take Your Masks Off", did not take place in front of the Parliament building in the St. Mark's Square, as planned, because the police barred access to the square. Although at one point the activists tried to break through the police cordon, sparking a brief shuffle with the policemen, the rally ended up peacefully after representatives of the Parliament and the Government persuaded the Union's delegation to lead the activists back to the Union HQ, where they had gathered in the morning for a march to the Parliament building. The rally broke up after the Union's president Davor Juric disclosed the activists about the outcome of his talks with the president of the Croatian State Parliament, Academician Vlatko Pavletić, and the Prime Minister Zlatko Matesa. According to Juric, the Union achieved more by today's rally than he had been hoping for. Pavletic promised to put the issues of unemployment and economic development on the Parliament's agenda and Mateša to discuss the Union's demands with its representatives on 4 February, said Juric. On top of that, next week the Government will present the Union with its plan for reduction of unemployment and the PM said he was ready to imminently visit the Union's HQ. To the demonstrators who showed their dissatisfaction by loudly declaring the Government's promises false, Juric said that today's rally was "just the first step". He announced that the Union was ready to take further steps around Easter or 1 May. The Union decided to stage the raly in front of the Parliament building in order to symbolically "unmask the Government" which it deems responsible for worsening work and living conditions. However, considering that the Zagreb council did not allow the union to rally in St. Mark's Square, the police barred access to the square and stopped the activists' column. According to the representatives of the Union, during the rally "Take Your Masks off" the union received a large number of telegrams from Croatia and 24 other countries, expressing support and solidarity by different labour unions. (Hina) mm mr 291934 MET jan 98