LESAR ANNOUNCES GENERAL STRIKE, SKARA WANTS FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS

NEGOTIATIONS $ ZAGREB, Feb 21 (Hina) - Negotiations between the Croatian Government representatives and the Croatian Association of Independent Workers' Unions (SSSH), which took place in the Labour and Social Welfare Ministry on Wednesday, ended without agreement on any of the Union's demands. "The negotiations were a fiasco," the head of the SSSH, Dragutin Lesar said, announcing a general strike. The Labour and Social Welfare Minister Joso Skara said he wanted to continue the negotiations. #L# The SSSH negotiating committee arrived at the meeting accompanied by 5,000 Union members from the whole of Croatia who gathered around the ministry building, voicing support for their negotiators. During the talks, most of the mob split and went home by buses, while some 100 SSSH members from Osijek and Pozega Counties remained in front of the building until the end of the meeting. "The negotiations failed because the Government did not accept any of our demands," Lesar told the most persistant unionists after the meeting, and responded to their strong reactions and requests to "act" by announcing a general strike. SSSH bodies would hold a session Wednesday evening and reach necessary decisions, Lesar said, adding the public would be informed about the time of the strike in a day or two. The Government was open to negotiations, Minister Skara said, adding that a general strike was not an appropriate way to resolve social problems. "We have offered to the SSSH an extension of Annex 3 of the Basic National Agreement so that the existing level of the rights of employees could be retained," Skara said, adding it would be the minimum which was necessary for the signing of collective branch agreements and labour agreements. SSSH demands could be negotiated only after 1 July, when talks would probably be held on basic budget directives for the next year, Minister Skara said. (hina) lm jn 211922 MET feb 96