SURPLUS EDUCATION LABOUR IN EASTERN CROATIA NOT TO BE GIVEN NOTICE

( Editorial: --> 9276 ) OSIJEK, Sept 9 (Hina) - Not one education employee in Croatia's eastern Osijek-Baranja County, who was employed for an indeterminate period of time, has nor will be given notice, the head of the County education office Ksenija Zbozil said on Wednesday. Some Serb education employees in eastern Croatia are out of jobs due to an insufficient number of pupils after a number of Serb children left the area, she added. These employees have equal rights resulting from employment contracts as if they were employed and may be given jobs within 50km of their place of residence, in line with an Education Ministry decision, Zbozil explained. It is different for employees in the County who were employed for a determinate period of time and have become surplus labour following the decrease in the number of pupils. They have been directed to the Employment Bureau, Zbozil said. It is still not known how many children in Osijek-Baranja County are taking classes in Serbian, and how many in the Croatian language, but the fact is that the number of those who registered for attending classes in Serbian is considerably lower. Zbozil said the number of Croat children who started school in the area was three times higher than last year. She also explained that classes did not begin in some schools in eastern Croatia on September 7 because school buildings were still being reconstructed. (hina) ha /mbr 091910 MET sep 98