$ ON OCT 8 ZAGREB, Oct 6 (Hina) - Four trade union associations have called on Croatian workers to stop working for five minutes on Wednesday, October 8, as a sign of support for their demands.
MINUTES
$ ON OCT 8
ZAGREB, Oct 6 (Hina) - Four trade union associations have called on
Croatian workers to stop working for five minutes on Wednesday,
October 8, as a sign of support for their demands. #L#
At a press conference held in Zagreb on Monday,
representatives of the four trade union associations said that part
of their requests to the Government was of political while the rest
were of economic and social nature, adding that social problems
cannot be solved without previously solving political problems.
They also expressed strong opposition to blackmailing and
pressure exerted by the U.N. Security Council and the International
Monetary Fund (IMF), which threatened Croatia's independence,
sovereignty and dignity.
The trade union representatives request that as of 16 January
1998 (the UNTAES mandate expires on 15 January) Croatia establish
full state sovereignty on the whole of its territory, and that all
Croatian displaced be enabled to return, without any form of
'international blackmailing and human trade'.
As far as their economic and social requests are concerned,
the trade union representatives asked that two different value-added
tax rates be introduced, that labour courts be established as soon
as possible and that bills on pension insurance and peaceful
gathering and public protest be changed.
Trade union leaders denied a remark made by reporters who said
that the presentation of political requests had been previously
agreed on with the Government, as a precondition for the Government
to agree to talk about the social requests.
The trade unions' action, named 'Five to Twelve', will take
place on the day of the sixth anniversary of the Croatian Parliament
decision on severing all state and legal ties with the former
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
The action was organised by the Croatian Association of Trade
Unions (HUS), the Croatian Association of Workers' Trade Unions
(URSH), the Croatian Confederation of Independent Trade Unions
(KNSH) and the Co-ordination of Croatian Trade Unions of Public
Servants.
(hina) jn rm
061657 MET oct 97