ICFTU SECRETARY-GENERAL HOLDS TALKS WITH CROATIAN UNIONISTS

ZAGREB, May 2 (Hina) - The Secretary-General of the International Confederation of Trade Unions (ICFTU), Bill Jordan, on Thursday held talks in Zagreb with the head of the Croatian Independent Unions' Association (SSSH), Davor Juric, head of the Croatian Unions' Alliance, Niko Gunjin, and the head of the Croatian Confederation of Independent Unions, Mladen Mesic, a statement from the SSSH said. #L# The talks had focused on the Croatian government attempt to pass a Bill on unions to temporarily confiscate the unions' property, as well as on the distribution of the property, the statement said. The participants in the meeting had agreed that the division of the property should be done as soon as possible and that the government should not be allowed to meddle in unions' issues, the statement said. ICFTU had nothing against union pluralism, but it needed to be disciplined, Jordan said. An agreement should be reached among main unions and the processes of unifying the unions' centres should begin as soon as possible, Jordan said, adding that, otherwise, the unions would not be able to protect their members from an ever growing pressure from those who controlled finances. The unions should have a unified voice which would not allow the government to make arrangements without the unions, Jordan stressed. The Croatian unions were not isolated islands, they exist under the world economic system and should not have time for conflicts among themselves, Jordan said. The heads of the Croatian unions had announced serious talks on defining the overall goal of the unions and on removing obstacles for realizing that goal, the statement said. (hina) lm jn 021743 MET may 96