DEMANDS OF THREE RAILWAY UNIONS ARE UNJUSTIFIED - KLARIC

ZAGREB, Oct 20 (Hina) - "Taking into consideration the salaries of workers in some Croatian companies, the Croatian Railway (HZ) administration does not consider a five-day delay in the payment of salaries (to Croatian railway workers) a sufficient reason for protests," HZ General Director Marijan Klaric said on Tuesday. Three railway unions delayed railway traffic for two hours on Monday in protest, and set an ultimatum to the HZ administration for the repayment of all unpaid payments, not only salaries, which the administration has to do by 3pm Tuesday. Replying to unions, Klaric said that the HZ operation plan for 1998 envisaged the payment of a one-time addition to salaries for 1997, and jubilee awards for this year and last year, which had been done. The repayment of material expenses (daily allowances, field allowances, field compensation and compensation for travelled kilometres) are continually being paid in the same manner: this month's transferred to the next. All HZ workers have already received kilometres compensation for September, and field allowances will be paid by October 22 at the latest, Klaric said in his response. "The only thing the HZ undoubtedly owes its workers are transport compensations for September and October, due to solvency problems, which amounts to a total of US$1.2 million. Compensation for September will be paid by the beginning of November," Klaric said. He added that the HZ had this year set aside from its own profits the payment of compensations for workers which amounted to more than monthly profits from the transport of passengers and cargo. (hina) lml jn