SCHOOL UNIONS ANNOUNCE ONE DAY STRIKE ON DECEMBER 14

ZAGREB, Dec 9 (Hina) - A negotiation committe of five school unions will organise a one-day strike on December 14 in all primary and secondary schools. The strike will be organised due to "a failure to respect parliamentary decisions on selective salary increases in education, and the Government's avoidance to start negotiations about the financial situation in the education system". School union leaders on Wednesday told a press conference they had sought a 12 per cent increase of salaries in 1999, which, according to them, would "guarantee social peace". Before commencing preparations for the strike, the union leaders will propose to the Government that a reconciliation procedure be initiated. The procedure should be completed by noon Saturday. A statement by Deputy Education Minister Miroslav Doresic saying he had invited the unions for talks on a new collective agreement for the secondary school system was untrue, the union leaders said. The unions also resented the fact that President Tudjman "made no mention whatsoever" of the education system in his speech at the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) National Committee's session, held on Monday. (hina) mm ab/rml