POLICE STOP CROATIAN WORKERS' UNIONS' MEMBERS ON THEIR WAY TO GOVE

GOVE $ RNMENT BUILDING ZAGREB, Feb 14 (Hina) - Some hundred members of the Council of the Croatian Association of Independent Workers' Unions (SSSH), led by their president Dragutin Lesar, tried to stage a protest meeting in front of the Government building in order to convince Premier Zlatko Matesa to talk with them. #L# The SSSH members were stopped on their way to the Government building by the police, which let only president Lesar through. Lesar was told, however, that the Premier could not receive him because he was too busy. The SSSH demonstrators refused Government's proposal to talk to Labour and Social Welfare Minister Joso Skara and left the site peacefully. The SSSH demands that the Government immediately raise the lowest basic wage to 1,100 kunas, to introduce more tax categories instead of the present two tax categories (25% and 35%), with the lowest tax category of 15%. They also demand that the untaxable part of the salary be raised from 700 to 1,100 kunas as well as that salaries and all other workers' rights be regulated by collective agreements in the future and not by Government's decisions and decrees. The SSSH president Lesar sent a statement to Premier Matesa calling on him to accept the SSSH's invitation to talks. Otherwise, the unionists would meet again in front the Government building on 21 February, Lesar said. (hina) rm mm 141820 MET feb 96