PREMIER PROMISES ASSISTANCE TO INVALIDS' INSTITUTE

( Editorial: --> 8608 ) ZAGREB, Sept 7 (Hina) - The government will resolve the problems of the Institute for the Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons (URIHO) as soon as possible, Croatian Premier Zlatko Matesa told URIHO employees on Monday. URIHO's employees, more than a half of them disabled persons, staged this morning a protest in front of the government building, demanding the transfer of URIHO's ownership to the City of Zagreb, a change of the company's management, and regular salaries. About 100 employees of URIHO, led by representatives of the Association of Workers' Unions of Croatia (URSH) and the Union of Disabled Persons of Croatia, managed to gather in front of the government building before the police prevented access, and peacefully protested for "URIHO's salvation". The protesters demanded that the Pension Fund, which is the majority owner of URIHO, transfer ownership to the City of Zagreb. They also demanded the annulment of a decision on mortgages on URIHO real estate, believing the decision was passed to make the transfer of ownership to Zagreb impossible. The protesters also demanded that a regular paying out of salaries be ensured, and that the Management Council and URIHO manager be relieved of his duties. Premier Matesa received the union delegation headed by URSH president Boris Kunst. "The Premier was very surprised that the URIHO issue had not been resolved yet", Kunst said after the meeting. He told the employees that Matesa had promised he would try to resolve the URIHO ownership issue during the day, at a meeting with Labour and Social Welfare Minister Joso Skara, Pension Fund director Damir Zoric and Zagreb Mayor Marina Matulovic-Dropulic. Matesa also promised he would discuss the annulment of the mortgage decision with Zoric, Kunst said. He added the management problem would be resolved once Zagreb had become the majority owner of URIHO. The protesters, who peacefully waited for the results of the Matesa-Kunst talks in front of the government building, then went back to work. In the meantime, another group of 50 URIHO employees, led by the Zagreb commission of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Croatia, were stopped by police before the government building. Some workers tried to break through, but unsuccessfully. The brief shoving about ended with only a verbal "duel" with the police, who stoically suffered the remarks of the angry unionists. (hina) ha jn/sp 071605 MET sep 98